A Long Way From Home
by Darth Malleus
Summary: A fleet of Alliance ships find themselves in the centre of a hornets' nest. Lost and alone in the middle of hostile territory with nowhere to turn will they survive or perish?
1. Prologue

_**Star Wars**_

_**Warhammer 40K**_

_**A Long Way from Home**_

_**Prologue**_

_**Summary: **_A fleet of Alliance ships find themselves in the centre of a hornets' nest. Lost and alone in the middle of hostile territory and with nowhere to turn will they survive or perish.

_**Timeline: **_Just after the Yuuzhan Vong War in the Star Wars timeline, and before the beginning of the 13th Black Crusade in Warhammer.

_**Category: **_Sci-fi/Adventure/Drama

_**Rating: **_T

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own either Warhammer or Star Wars. These are the property of Games Workshop and Lucas Arts respectively. I am simply using their characters and settings for my own ends.

_**Authors Notes1: **_I have had this thought ever since I finished work on the Two Galaxy's Saga, and now that I am older, wiser and have more knowledge of both fictional universes I would like to have another go at it.

_**Authors Notes 2: **_I plan on this one being more realistic and gritty compared to the last one. The forces of good are a long way from winning.

_**Authors Notes 3: **_As an after note I firmly believe this is a more believable opening than the whole Yuuzhan Vong thing.

I hope that all those who read and enjoyed my original work will continue to support me in this endeavour. I would like to add that this is a teaser chapter and the others are a long way from completion. The story itself will begin in earnest in a couple of months, depending on my University work load, which considering its my final year will be quite high.

Darth Malleus

**_Final Author's Note: _**While I am here would it be possible to place a Living Saint into this story, like Saint Sabbat or someone like that? I don't want to mess up the timeline considering I'm placing this near the 13th Black Crusade and all.

* * *

_**30 ABY**_

_**Outer-rim Territories**_

_**Perlemian Trade Route**_

_**Executor-class Star Dreadnought **_**Guardian**

_Personal Log of Joseph Halos_

_Admiral of the 4__th__ Galactic Alliance Core Fleet_

_All of the last minute checks have been completed and we are just about ready to begin. I still can't believe that I have been selected for this assignment. It's hard to believe that just a few months ago I was a Captain of a Star Destroyer, and now ever since the war's end I've been promoted to full Admiral. Looks like my actions at Mon Calamari got some ones attention. _

_They've called in a full Fleet Squadron for escort duty. It's really quite remarkable, a new type of faster-than-light travel. It's not a Hyperdrive, its some kind of new technology which forces wormholes into existence, and uses them to travel from one section of the galaxy to the other. _

_I'm not completely sure of the details, all I know is that if this works then Hyperdrive engines will be obsolete. Instead of taking months to reach one side of the galaxy to the other it could take days or even hours. I'm not a technical specialist but I have to admit that it sounds exciting to me. The scientists haven't thought of a name yet, calling it Experiment 9218. The officers have a betting pool on what they're going to call it._

_They even called in a Jedi observer to oversee the experiment. I wasn't sure of Master Sabbath at first, but after talking to the man I got the assumption he was very down to earth, very mellow. He hasn't tried to take command or flaunt his status like I thought he would, so I have no complaints about him._

_What really got us going though was the ship they were using, the last _Executor-class _Star Dreadnought in the Alliance fleet. Apparently this wormhole drive is so massive that they can't fit her on a ship-of-the-line, meaning that it was either a _Viscount _Star Defender or an _Executor _Star Dreadnought. They're still keeping the Hyperdrive engines on her though, thank the force for that. As impressive as all this sounds I'd still like to have a normal Hyperdrive in case this experiment goes to the dogs._

_The _Guardian _is a breathtaking sight, nineteen kilometres of sleek deadly firepower. She saw heavy action in the Yuuzhan Vong war, and was the platform used for the surrender of the Yuuzhan Vong. They aren't taking any chances either. The _Guardian _is fully staffed and armed, add that to the armaments of the surrounding squadron and we'd have enough to take over a full sector._

_We're in the middle of the Perlemian Trade Route, and from what I hear the scientists and engineers have already started to spool this device up, another hour and we'll be ready for a full test run. Morale among the crew is high, and they're all looking forward to seeing a piece of history, even Sabbath seems excited._

_End Log_

_

* * *

_

Joseph Halos took a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking out through the great viewport of the observation deck. Stretching out before him was the dagger shape of the _Guardian_, last of its kind in active service. The mammoth capital-ship had seen much over its military career. From its service to the Galactic Empire, to its capture and refitting by the New Republic all the way through to the Yuuzhan Vong war and the formation of the Galactic Alliance. He was standing on a flagship which had seen service in three galactic powers and lived through two galactic conflicts.

The Admiral smiled softly. To end this impressive military career the _Guardian _would be decommissioned with full military honours in the Kuati shipyards after this last mission was accomplished; The testing of a new form of faster-than-light travel, a historic moment to finish this grand warships tenure.

He heard the sounds of boots hitting the metal decking, and turned to see a cup of hot caff held out for him. He took it without thinking, and looked up at the face of the man who gave it to him, "A credit for your thoughts Admiral."

Gabriel Sabbath was quite a handsome young man, twenty five standard years old with a head of rich brown hair, rugged features complete with piercing brown eyes. He wore the ceremonial robes of his order, a dirt brown hooded robe, half hiding a cream tunic and pants, knee high black boots and a black utility belt holding a holstered blaster and the unmistakable cylinder of his lightsabre.

Joseph shook his head, "Just thinking of this ship and how long she's been in service."

Gabriel nodded and looked down at the bridge section and the crew pits below. The observation deck was nothing more than a collection of railed walkways, all leading to a central platform. On this platform was a huge holographic table, used by commanders to observe surroundings and issue orders. It was a similar design to the newer Star Destroyers, just ten times larger.

The Admiral blew on his steaming hot drink, before his eyes turned back to the Jedi Master. The young man also had a cup of caff in his hands, but wasn't drinking. Instead he looked at the huge expanse of twinkling stars visible from the huge viewports. The view really was incredible.

To their left and right were the smaller dagger shapes of their escort, ten _Imperial-class_ and four newer, far sleeker _Nebula-class _Star Destroyers. Like their flagship they were all fully staffed and armed. Halos wondered why they needed such a large escort, the _Guardian _was more than capable of handling any pirate threats, heck she could hold off an entire fleet of enemy ships by herself if she needed too.

"I also want to get this finished and take her too Kuat," Joseph added. "She's a good ship, and deserves to be decommissioned in one piece."

Gabriel shook his head, "It could take them months or even years to finish the testing. Just buckle in and expect a long and boring ride."

The Admiral frowned at the young Jedi Master. Gabriel was technically outside of the chain of command, so he could get away with doing certain things, like talking back to a superior officer. Halos didn't mind though, in fact he found it rather refreshing to have someone who doesn't answer his questions with a 'yes, sir'.

"Thanks for reminding me." He replied in a sarcastic deadpan.

Gabriel took a sip of his drink, and winced at the bitter taste, "Your welcome."

"Admiral," both men turned to the central console to see the ship's Captain. Sor'ai Flore was a female Rutian Twi'lek and young by any humanoid estimation at twenty six years old. Like any other female of her race she was a striking beauty, but she was also a serious officer, and Halos knew by her quick mind and sharp wit that promotion was definitely in her future. "All ship Captain's report that they are ready and waiting for your instruction sir."

Halos nodded as he approached the centre of the Command Deck, "Very good Captain Flore. Patch me through the engineering section would you?"

"Yes Admiral."

"I'm just going to go over here," Gabriel said suddenly, walking back to the viewport and absently raising his hand in a casual wave. "I don't want to be targeted by that crazy woman again."

Halos sighed, noticing that his Captain's lips were curling upwards in a small smile. "If you don't want too you don't have to be here either."

She gave him a thankful smile before walking over to the edge of the deck to stand beside the Jedi Master. Halos messaged his temple. How the hell was this woman able to make half of the command staff and a Jedi Master scared of her in a few months? It just wasn't possible.

Joseph Felt a headache coming on, but ignored it as he began to push a few runes on the keyboard. Within a few second a twenty foot high image of the engineering section snapped into life above the table. The section was, as predicted, a mess with cables of different shapes and sizes snaking across the floor, all connected to this massive spherical mass of metal which was so big he couldn't see a tenth of it on the monitor. Engineers and technicians were either standing by computer consoles or making last minute checkups to the main generators.

A few seconds passed before the head scientist appeared on the screen. Nora Lissana was a tall woman in her mid-forties, a Mirialan dressed in a simple pair of white overalls, caked in oil and dirt, making her look just like the horde of technicians and engineers surrounding her. Her hair was long and black, tied in a messy ponytail; skin was a greenish yellow with the ritual tattoos of dark purple on the bridge of her nose and chin.

She was a brilliant scientist, one of the best in her field. She was passionate and loved her work. Sadly she didn't like anyone looking over her shoulder and telling her what to do. She didn't like Halos at all because of that one little fact.

"What is it now Admiral?" she asked in a clipped tone. Did he say she didn't like him, he meant she hated him.

"Just wanted to remind you about the deadline, Chief" he replied. "All of the ships commanders are reporting that they are ready and waiting. All they need is my word, and your word is what I need. Are we ready?"

"Yes we are ready," she replied. "No thanks to you and your lackeys off course with you continuously pestering us with 'When will it be done?' and 'Remember the deadline?'. This is not a piece of meat you can cook and throw out. This is a very delicate piece of machinery, a prototype and I have no patience for stuck up Admirals _or _know it all Jedi sticking their nose in my business."

Like Gabriel Nora was not officially in his chain of command. So he could not shoot her, though force help him he's considered it a few times. "So that mean's your ready right?"

She glared at him for a moment, "Yes, we are ready."

"It's not going to blow up my ship is it?"

Once again the glare came back full force. "We've run hundreds of simulations, and gone over every bolt and button more times than anyone can count. This thing is theologically sound."

"Then let's begin." Halos replied before terminating the communiqué and turning back to see both the Jedi Master and his second-in-command looking over their shoulders at him, as if silently asking him if she was gone. "Thanks a lot you two."

"My apologies Admiral," Sor'ai replied with a nervous smile. "But the good professor scares me. She doesn't concede in an argument, even when she knows she's wrong."

"Well we have permission, so tell the other Captains to be ready." Gabriel walked to the very end of the viewport once again, looking out at the stars as his second began contacting the various Captains' within the fleet.

It was a few minutes when they heard a new sound join the symphony of noises which were normal for a warship, a deep hum which seemed to reverberate through the Star Dreadnoughts very superstructure. The Admiral felt the railings he was leaning on begin to shudder as the massive machine started up. Before long everyone could feel the trembling, like the great beast which was the _Guardian _had suddenly come alive under their very feet.

There was a blast of static before the Chief's excited voice echoed through, _"Experiment 9218 has started up without a hitch. The board is green, all gauges show readings within acceptable parameters… power level at thirty percent and rising."_

"Is this normal?" he heard Gabriel ask Flore as he leaned against the railing, placing a hand on the young Captain's shoulder to keep her grounded.

"You're asking me?" she replied with a slightly nervous tinge to her voice.

Lissana's voice pierced the air again, _"All gauges still reading normal parameters, board is still green. Power level at fifty percent."_

The trembling seemed to escalate, and Joseph heard a low groaning noise which he somehow knew was the skeletal structure of the _Guardian_, as if voicing its discomfort to all those within her armoured hull. _"Power level at sixty percent and rising!"_

Suddenly there was a sudden boom, which was the precursor for the trembling to escalate to that of a low level earthquake. The power behind the blast sent everyone on both the observation deck and the bridge to fall to the floor. Alarms began to blare, deafening the Admiral and making his ears ring for a few crucial seconds.

He looked around in time to see one of the junior officers lose his footing and fall over the railing, hitting the central walkway of the bridge below with a bone crushing thud. Sor'ai nearly went with him, but Gabriel looped an arm around her slender waist and pulled her back onto the deck, still tightly holding onto the railing.

"Lissana," he shouted in surprise and anger, "What the hell is going on!"

"_Power level reached seventy," _her suddenly panicked voice replied. _"Then the whole thing went to hell. It's chaos down here. It's red across the board, pressures up well past a hundred, several nodes are sparking. The power level is threatening to overload the system!"_

"Then turn it off," he shouted, scrambling his way to the circular console, watching as his fellow officers held onto whatever they could with all they had. The whole ship seemed to be shaking.

The Chief scientists voice returned, _"Roger that, commencing emergency shutdown procedures!"_

"Admiral," he heard Gabriel's voice and turned to see both him and Sor'ai staring at the viewports with widened eyes. With effort Halos spun himself around, and his own gray orbs went as wide as dinner plates.

A mass of haze which resembled a spherical orb, about the size of a small moon, appeared right before their ships, barely ten thousand kilometres away from the closest ship's bow. Halos watched the wormhole even as he received a garbled mass of communications from his fellow Ship Captain's, demanding to know what was going on. For what seemed like an eternity the orb hung there motionless, and then it opened like a blooming flower.

"That's not a wormhole," he heard Sor'ai say, eyes wide with fright, and to frighten a soldier who fought against the Yuuzhan Vong was quite an accomplishment.

"That's a black hole," Gabriel finished for her.

"Turn us around," his voice was but a whisper at first, but as the trembling died down and it became possible to stand his voice became a roar. "Turn us around! Full power to the main engines! Contact the fleet and tell them to do the same. Turn us around now!"

As one the ships of the fleet began a desperate turning action, engines flaring an ion blue as all available power went into them. The fifteen ships strong Fleet Squadron was able to make the turn, but by then the full power of the black hole was against them. The warships were stopped in their tracks, the power of their engines fighting against the suction of the black hole.

"Divert power from all nonessential systems to the engines, everything you can get!" Halos roared from his place. The small groan of the _Guardians _superstructure had become a roar which almost deafened them to any other noises. The Star Dreadnoughts structure was struggling against the power of the anomaly.

A male's voice crackled over the wireless, "This is Captain Augustus of the _Victor_. We're going to attempt a Hyperspace jump!"

Halos head darted to the ship, an _Imperial-class _Star Destroyer, and immediately hit the communications switch. "Augustus, this is Halos, abort that order. Do you hear me! Abort!"

It was too late, the mile long length of the Star Destroyer seemed to extend, like it had turned into an elastic band, then it vanished in a flash. Barely a split second later and roughly a thousand kilometres away had the capital-ship returned to real-space. Its superstructure cut in two almost like a massive sword had been ran through its centre. The two halves broke apart, small plumes of explosions dotting the hull. Halos imagined thousands of sentient beings spilling through the hull breaches alongside their machines, dying from explosive combustion, and immediately forced himself to his feet.

"Send this to all ships," he shouted. "Reroute all power from the weapons to the engines. Don't let up until you break free!"

All of the surviving Captain's did as told, but the additional power was nowhere near great enough. The fleet was able to struggle another few kilometres before the power of the black hole overwhelmed them again. Halos was forced to watch as one by one the smaller _Imperial _and _Nebula _Star Destroyers were pulled back into the waiting arms of the special anomaly.

Over the next ten minutes the ships were slowly forced back, one by one vanishing in the eternal depths of the monstrous black hole. All aboard the flagship were forced to hear the screams of those aboard their support craft as they vanished into the depths. Eventually only the _Guardian _remained, and as the last escort vanished into the darkness the great engine nacelles of the Star Dreadnought were engulfed.

A sudden tremor so strong it made the entire superstructure roar sent everyone to the decking. Halos watched as another officer fell from the railings and landed in the crew pits with a crunch which would have broken every bone in his body. The very ship began to list uncontrollably back, like an old sea fairing vessel sinking beneath the waves.

The Admiral watched as cables snapped and consoles below sparked. He saw Gabriel fall to the ground, still holding onto Sor'ai. He saw his fellow senior officers hang onto anything they could as the great battleship was forced into the endless depths of the black hole.

Then a great darkness took him from consciousness.


	2. Far from Home

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Far From Home**_

_**Authors Note 1: **_Okay, I know I originally said that the next chapter would be a few months from now, but… after I uploaded the first chapter I just continued to write, and I've regained my muse for the first time in ages. So I'm just going to run with it and see what happens. I will try and continue my other works of fiction, but a few will have to be temporarily discontinued, I just need to figure out which ones.

_**Author's Note 2: **_Thank you to Inquisitor Herron, SgtKang, alith anor, Duckman, Damien of the Shadows, Hitokiri Onib, john777, Kojiro kun, Amir-015, Racket30, AngelForm, Melgar, Gespenster Jager, skipper 1337, Imperial Warlord, Numbah Six-Sixtysix, Citrus334, 2stupid, Akilis, DaemonWelsh, Gforce member45, Ogun Nagoura, UltimateX1, and Kagswst for reviewing on the first chapter. I hope you guys stay with me, and remain patient as I re-begin.

_**Author's Note 3: **_As for the explanation of tech, character history _etc. _I will try and do the very best that I can, any problems just ask me either through a PM or a review. The old forum I opened is still there as well if you guys want to start the old thing up again. Oh and it is going to be nothing like the Two Galaxy's Saga, whole new kettle of fish here, a few things may follow along the same route but the main storyline is going to change.

_**Author's Note 4: **_I would just like to say that Star Wars is the property of Lucas Arts and Warhammer is the property of Games Workshop, and while I do not own any of the copyrights the OC's are mine!

* * *

Gabriel was one of the first to awake, groaning in agony as hot blossoms of pain seemed to explode over and over in his head. He blinked to remove the dots from his vision and sat up. The Master felt a wave of nausea hit him, but he opened himself up to the force and pushed it aside before forcing himself to his knees, then onto a knee.

The observation deck was dark, with only the lights of the thousands of stars outside, casting an eerie light over the walkways and the holotable. He heard a soft groan and turned his head to see the ship's captain stirring beside him. Across the deck was a similar story, most of the officers and aides were slowly returning to consciousness.

He heard Sor'ai groan in pain as she opened her eyes. Gabriel concentrated on the force, creating a balm of energy on his right hand before settling it on her forehead. "Don't sit up too quick."

She opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief as he nursed away her thundering headache. "Did anyone get the license of that landspeeder?"

He smiled at her wit before concentrating on removing her grogginess. That done he stood up and looked around, noticing the Admiral sit up and growl out a small series of curses. Gabriel moved to his side, and began administering the same treatment as he did to Sor'ai. Halos breathed a sigh of relief before sending the Jedi a thankful smile.

Gabriel then moved onto the next person he could see. Joseph stood up, and let out a breathe he didn't know he was holding when the lights slowly began to flicker, consoles below began making beeping sounds as they came back online, and he heard the rumble of the engines as they rebooted.

"Status report," his voice was more of a croak, like he was suffering from a hangover after a night of heavy drinking. Another wave of nausea hit him, and he was forced to lean his weight against the railing and wait for it to pass.

Sor'ai and a few of her senior officers were already at the main command console, inputting commands. The Admiral glanced down at the bridge and the crew pits below in time to see most of the crew begin to stir. He noticed a few of them get on their hands and knees and empty the contents of their stomachs onto the decking. The men and women of the bridge crew were a hardy lot though, and forced back the nausea and pain to get back to their stations.

"We need a medic down here!" Joseph looked down to see a couple of ensigns checking on the wounded, and the two officers who fell from the observation deck.

He turned to Sor'ai's first officer, a middle aged man. "Get a medical team down there now, remove the wounded."

The man saluted sharply, and immediately set to the task

"Damage is minimal," he heard his Captain begin after a couple of minutes. "There are no hull breaches and all systems seem to be coming back online normally. Both sublight and hyperdrive engines are rebooting. Weapon systems all appear to be intact. Hanger bay is reporting a number of fighters damaged. We're getting status reports from the rest of the sections… same situation as us, a few casualties, mainly from the turbulence."

Halos nodded, "What about the other ships. Give me a communications wave, all frequencies."

Sor'ai nodded and after a few seconds gave him the thumps up. "Channels open Admiral."

He nodded to her before taking a deep breath. "This is Admiral Joseph Halos of the _Guardian _to all ships in the fleet, sound off!"

Barely a few moments passed before the first voice came through the air, followed by others. "This is Captain Marie Rosso of the _Vigilance, _we're still here sir."

"Captain Tesar Verge of the _Dauntless, _reporting."

"Captain Chadaara Mynn of the _Interceptor, _we're here."

"Captain Christopher Terik of the _Liberty, _reporting."

"This is Captain Klinti Sontar of the _Repulse."_

"Captain Tobin S'Artin of the _Daybreak, _we're here."

"This is Captain Severi of the _Resolute, _still kicking."

"Captain Jin Shandor of the _Sword of Ithor, _reporting."

"Captain Jaayza Soonta of the _Defiance, _reporting."

"This is Captain Shon Blue of the _Defender."_

Halos waited, and frowned when no more reports came through the comlink. So far only ten of his escorts had reported in. The _Victory _had already been lost so that left three still unaccounted for, two _Imperial _Star Destroyers_, _the _Bulwark _and the _Independence, _and a _Nebula-class, _the _Sabre of Duros._

He was at the holotable by now, nudging Sor'ai aside so he could gain access to the main terminal. The Admiral's hands danced across the console, bringing up a three dimensional hologram of the surrounding area, with small wedges representing his ships. All ten who had reported in were scattered across a wide area of nearly three hundred thousand kilometres. There was no sign of the other three vessels. "All ships reform around the _Guardian _in escort formation. We will remain here for now to gain our bearings and make any repairs, Halos out."

He seemed to think for a moment, before turning around and making his way towards the exit of the observation deck. This did not go unnoticed by his second-in-command. "Admiral, where are you going?"

He didn't turn, and kept walking, "Just going down to engineering to have a little chat with the dear Chief Scientist. Sor'ai you're in charge till I get back, try and figure out where the hell we are. Gabriel you're with me."

The Jedi quickly fell in step behind the Admiral, noticing two armed marines flank them as they entered the turbolift. It was common for an Admiral to have an armed escort with him wherever he went. As the doors closed he turned to the Jedi Master. "I want you to be the mediator between me and the good professor."

"Why do you need me as a mediator?" Gabriel asked, confused.

"Because I may attempt to strangle her if I don't like her answer." Halos replied through gritted teeth.

* * *

The section for the new generator wasn't in the same area of the ship that housed the sublight and hyperdrive engines. It had a whole new section hollowed out and specially designed for its use. Structurally the _Guardian _was of a similar design to other _Executor _Star Dreadnoughts of her line, all except for one addition. In front of the command tower were two large dome shaped bulges in the hull, one on either side. It was within these domes that the new experimental system was installed.

Looking back it reminded Gabriel of Interdictor ships, vessels designed to create gravity wells in a section of space to wrench passing by starships from hyperspace. _Interdictor-class _Star Destroyers were a rebel's nightmare during the days of the Galactic Civil War, and they were used to great effect against the Yuuzhan Vong as well.

He was forced from his thoughts as the doors opened to reveal, chaos, complete and utter chaos. Technicians, engineers and scientists rushed about the space, flicking switches and performing detailed checks of the prototypes structure. Medics were scattered about, attending to the wounded. Halos crossed the threshold first, followed by Gabriel and his two marines. The Admirals eyes scanned the area left and right, and then focused on the person he was looking for.

"Nora Lissana," he growled out, voice brokering no argument as he called the disgruntled scientist over from her place. The Scientist was standing over a power conduit, datapad in hand as she and a few aides tried to fix whatever had broken. She looked at them, handed the pad to one of her subordinates and walked over at a brisk pace.

"What the hell happened?" the Admiral ground out, trying to remain calm.

The scientist hesitated for a moment, before answering. "We don't know… the second the power level hit seventy she went out of control. Half of the power conduits have overloaded, a third of the wiring has shorted out. The machine itself is barely stable. We're going to have to shut her down until she can be repaired."

"That's going to have to wait," Halos said, taking a deep breath and regaining his composure. "Do you realise what happened out there?"

"I know that we suffered a mild jump but-"

"There was nothing mild about it professor." Joseph snapped. "Your little science experiment opened up a bloody black hole right in front of us. We were all sucked through it! I lost a ship, a Star Destroyer, all thirty seven thousand people aboard are dead, do you hear me, dead! Now we're stuck in the middle of nowhere and we are missing an additional three Star Destroyers!"

The scientists face seemed to pale with every statement, the very nature of their situation made unmistakably clear to her. All around her the sounds of work stopped as her fellow scientists, aides, engineers and technicians looked at the scene with widened eyes and paling faces.

"As of this moment I am shutting down this monstrosity," the Admiral growled out, "It is to be completely shut down immediately. You and all of your teams are going to be reassigned to help in the repairs of this ship. Until we reach Alliance space you and those under you answer to me. Is that clear?"

"Yes Admiral," the woman replied after a moment, regaining her composure with every second. "We will shut her down immediately, and place all further testing on hold until we reach Alliance space. This is beyond our worst calculations. We never expected her to open up a black hole."

The Chief Scientist looked stricken, barely believing what she had heard. None of her fellows seemed to believe what they were hearing either. Gabriel was glad that she wasn't some crazy nut who believed success was more important than lives. Halos seemed to notice this as well, for his eyes softened ever so slightly, yet his tone remained clipped. "Make sure this thing is safe before you shut her down. Make any repairs that you need, but I don't want any replays of what happened today, understand?"

"Yes, Admiral." She replied with a nod.

He returned it, "Then step to it Chief."

She nodded and spun on her heel, immediately shouting out orders to her teams of scientists and technicians. The Admiral didn't wait, he turned and made his way back to the corridors, Gabriel and his two marine escorts right on his tail. Gabriel waited until the transparisteel door slipped closed behind them before speaking. "What now?"

"Back to the bridge," Joseph replied. "Let's see if Sor'ai knows where we are?"

* * *

Sor'ai looked at the Admiral nervously as he read the information on the console, eyes darting back and forth as he took in the data, occasionally she saw his eyes widen, then narrow. Finally he looked at her, and cleared his throat. "You're sure."

She nodded, "We've had the central process servers check every centimetre of the surrounding star formations, and it hasn't recognised a single one."

The Admiral was now deep in thought, "Meaning that it can't plot a hyperspace route because we're in unexplored territory. But how can that be possible?"

He walked over to the great viewports and looked out at the stars with a critical eye. As a superior officer in the Alliance Starfleet he had to memorise all of the local star charts and formations in case of an emergency, and he found the longer he searched that he didn't see any of the more common star formations, not a single one.

"I don't recognise any of these star formations," Gabriel said, who had been studying the sea of lights for longer than he.

"Neither do I," Halos affirmed, before spinning on his heel to his Captain and her senior staff.

"What does that mean," one of the senior officers asked.

"It means that we're not in the Mid-rim anymore, nor the Core, Inner-rim, Colonies or anywhere in the Outer-rim." His Chief Navigator said. Angela Devero was one of several officers Halos took with him when he was reassigned. She was one of the damned best Navigators in the entire fleet, capable of plotting a jump anywhere and everywhere.

"Then we're in the Unknown Regions?" another officer, this one a Rodian asked.

"No," Halos replied thoughtfully. "Even there we would be able to recognise at least some formations. We're further out still."

"We couldn't be in the void could we?" someone asked.

"No, if we were in the void between galaxies then there'd be no stars at all."

"We're about to find out where we are." Halos said, turning to the Captain. "Are we equipped with probe droids?"

"We are fully stocked sir. Each Star Destroyer would have roughly a thousand. We'd have roughly eight thousand." She affirmed, seeing where he was going before he finished his sentence.

"What type are they?"

"Viper series Probe Droids," she replied.

"Old, but very reliable," Halos muttered to himself.

Every military vessel had a compliment of deep space recon droids, or simply probe droids. It had been that way since the formation of the Galactic Empire. Usually these machines were used to find enemy installations, but their main design was to be used as reconnaissance for a fleet if it was ever lost. Each droid was equipped with a hyperdrive enabled drop-pod, and designed to drop out of hyperspace at the first sign of a gravity anomaly, and its sensors were more than capable of mapping out surrounding regions and giving back rough guides to new routes.

Out of all these probe droids none were better than the Viper series. They had been in use by the Galactic Empire since the beginning of the Galactic Civil War, but their reliability and advanced systems made them better than any other droid created since.

Halos walked up to the holotable, a hologram of the fleet flickering above the console. He studied it for a second, watching the four wedges which symbolised the ships at the tips of the diamond formation. "Contact the _Vigilance, Liberty, Dauntless _and _Resolute. _Order them to despatch a full unit of probe droids each and send them in different directions. If we don't hear from them within three days then the rest of the fleet will launch a unit each."

Sor'ai nodded, and set to work. A full unit was roughly fifty or more droids, more than enough to scout the surrounding sector. It would most likely take days before they sent reports in, but it was better than standing around here in the middle of nowhere.

Ten minutes past before the main hanger bay doors of all four Star Destroyers opened, and one by one the small teardrop shaped forms of the pods emerged. They remained dormant until they drifted almost a hundred meters clear of their mother ships, then their thrusters activated, sending them flying in different directions before vanishing in a flash of light as their hyperdrive engines activated.

Halos watched the entire scene from the great viewports, which gave a good view of the _Vigilance _as she disgorged her drop pods, each one holding a fully active probe droid. He watched the flashing lights as they vanished one by one and sighed. He clasped his hands behind his back, eyes narrowing. "Now we wait."

* * *

Two days had passed since the launch, and for two days the crews of the fleet did nothing but their usual duties, waiting patiently for the first reports to flood in. Joseph Halos sighed as he sat on a comfortable chair, nursing another cup of caff in his hands as he looked out the viewport of his living quarters.

His quarters were a collection of rooms, including a living area, built in kitchen, bed chamber and personal office where he could continue his work. The floors were decked in simple red carpet; walls were nothing more than bland transparisteel with a couple of cabinets concealing clothes, books and a small repertoire of weapons.

The Admiral took another sip of his drink, and with a sigh relaxed into his chair. He had personally gone through half the ship, talking with the crew, gauging their reactions and alleviating their fears. The morale of the men and women under his command was strained, everyone was worried, but they were still confident that the commanders above them were doing everything they could to get them home. He did not plan on disappointing them.

The damage his vessels had sustained had been minimal, thankfully, and by the second day the entire fleet had been repaired and were battle ready once again. Halos had to admit that the whole process had been sped along by the good professor Lissana and her small army of techies and scientists. They had even upgraded the weapons systems and made some minor modifications to the shield generators and sensor arrays.

As for the missing three Star Destroyers his communication officers had been trying to raise them for the full two days, fighter squadrons had been unleashed to search as far as their fuel would allow without using their Hyperdrive engines. So far they had found nothing, and although he wasn't willing to give up yet Joseph was beginning to lose hope in finding them again.

The bell at his door rang, shaking the Admiral from his reverie. Without standing up he ordered whoever was on the other side to enter. The door opened to reveal Sor'ai. The Twi'lek Captain walked into the chamber, and immediately Halos noticed the bags under her eyes, the poor girl hadn't slept in two days, doing nothing but remaining by her post and doing her duties.

"No reports have come through yet Admiral," she informed. He had asked for reports every few hours after the beginning of the second day, but he also told her to send an ensign when her shift ended.

"Thank you Sor'ai," Halos replied, before giving her a piercing glance. "Now go and get some sleep. You look like you could use it."

"I'm fine sir," she tried to protest, before giving into a yawn.

"No you aren't," Halos replied. "You haven't slept in two days straight. Don't make me give you an order, go to your quarters and get some sleep. Your CO can take over for you until then."

She looked ready to protest, but shut her mouth and nodded, "Yes sir, sorry for the trouble."

The Admiral nodded, and waved her off. The young woman saluted sharply, before turning and walking out of the room at a brisk, yet dignified pace. Halos shook his head, before picking a datapad up from the table. Young commanders these days had to do everything themselves, it was admirable but foolish.

It was another five minutes before another ring got his attention. He looked up to see the familiar form of the residential Jedi Master as he entered. Gabriel was still garbed in his traditional robe, hiding away his clothes underneath. "You wished to see me Admiral?"

"Yes Master Sabbath, thank you for coming." Joseph replied, "Have a seat."

The Jedi nodded, walking across the chamber and taking a seat on another comfortable chair across the table from him. "Would you like a cup of Caff?"

"No thank you Admiral, I've had to many already for it to be considered healthy." The Jedi smiled, "I could use a stiff drink though."

"I think I have something around here somewhere." The Admiral looked up at him before a smile crossed his features. He stood up and walked over to a cabinet, the glass panels showing liquor bottles within. "How do you like brandy?"

"What make?"

"Corellian,"

"Good taste,"

"Thank you," the Admiral replied as he opened the cabinet, removing a bottle of Corellian brandy and two glasses. He set them down, and poured a few inches worth into each before sitting back on his chair and depositing the bottle on the table. "I didn't think Jedi drank."

"You'd be surprised," Gabriel replied as he took the glass. "So what is this about?"

Joseph sat back in his chair, "You are aware that we're going to be here for a while."

"Yes, I thought as much." Gabriel nodded.

"So we're all stuck together until we're safely back in Alliance space. I want to get to know my senior officers and see if they're worth their salt." He looked at Gabriel from the corners of his eyes.

"I'm not one of your officers Admiral," the Jedi reminded him. "I have no rank within the military or power."

"Nevertheless you are a Jedi." Halos reminded. "And the Jedi are respected by the entire Alliance military, mainly for what you guys did and were forced to endure during the war. The men and women of this fleet will listen to you as well as any of the commanders here, including me."

Gabriel heard warning bells going off in his head, whether it was the force or his own worry he wasn't sure. "If you are worried that I'd try and take power then you needn't-"

"I know," Joseph cut off. "I am aware of your standing, that's not why I called you here. I propose a partnership. The fleet will be looking to me, you and the Captain's to lead them either back home or to a place of safe refuge. I will be commanding the fleet, that's undisputable, but I want you to keep their morale up. Many within the fleet will be looking to you for guidance and help, including me."

"Admiral?"

"I want you to become my advisor, will you accept?"

"Yes, but what else do you want me to do?"

"Just make yourself known; many within the crews will feel a heck of a lot better if they knew a Jedi was with them." Halos explained, "Go to wherever you wish, help repair fighters, work with the engineers, the technicians, the scientists. Go into battle beside our soldiers, fly with our pilots, use those Jedi talents of yours to help us through this."

"You sound like you're expecting us to get into a fight, Admiral." Gabriel said with a raised brow.

"I'm simply going over every possible scenario." Halos replied. "So, do we have a deal?"

"You never had to ask."

Joseph nodded, before raising his glass in a toast, "To survival."

Gabriel brought his up. The two glasses clinked together, "To home."

Both nodded, before knocking back the brandy and placing their glasses back on the table. The two men were silent for a moment before Halos spoke, picking up the bottle and refilling the glasses. "There is one more thing. If we are going to work together then we're going to need to trust each other, and to trust each other we need to know about each other. I personally know each Captain in the fleet, you on the other hand… " Gabriel's chocolate eyes met the Admiral's durasteel. "Where are you from?"

The Jedi smiled, and lay back in his chair. "Trust is a two way street Admiral, after you."

The middle aged man chuckled, "alright. I was born and raised on Corellia, you?"

"Coruscant, I think."

Joseph looked up from his brandy, eyebrow raised. "You think?"

"Me and my sister were orphans living in the undercity for as far back as I can remember. You know what it's like down there. We survived by scrounging for food, stealing, running errands, basically anything we could to survive." Gabriel explained, and Joseph understood. He had heard about the undercity of Coruscant before the Vong invaded. Orphaned children usually didn't last long down there unless they were able to adapt. "When we were eight we tried to pickpocket a Jedi Master, Kyle Katarn. He was on an anti-smuggling operation down there, and found us instead."

Everyone had heard of Jedi Master Kyle Katarn. The man was one of the most well known and respected masters in the new order, responsible for training numerous apprentices who themselves went on to become respected Jedi. "We were terrified of him at first, but it's amazing how a hot meal and a clean bed can change a child's view. He took us to the old academy on Yavin IV, and became our master when we were old enough to become apprentices."

"So you're a former apprentice of Kyle Katarn," Joseph said with a smirk, "Quite a name to live up too."

Gabriel shrugged, "I think I managed pretty well, so did you know your parents?"

"My mother was a member of CorSec, and my father was an officer in the Corellian Defence Forces." Joseph answered. This time it was Gabriel's turn to look up from his glass.

CorSec, or the Corellian Security Forces were the primary law enforcement on Corellia and were known as one of the most elite police forces in the galaxy. "You could say that they inspired me to enter the officer's academy. I graduated top of my class and was given a command in the Imperial navy."

"You were an Imperial?" Gabriel asked with a raised brow.

"I was," he answered, taking a sip of his drink. "The Emperor was killed about a month after I graduated, and then the whole Empire went to hell. I watched as the Empire tore itself apart with feuding Moffs and warlords, and joined the Rebellion about a year later. Since then I was assigned as a Captain to a Star Destroyer, and slowly rose my way up to Admiral."

"What about when the Emperor was reborn?"

"I picked my side and stuck with it." Joseph answered, before changing the subject. "You're a Jedi master so you must have had an apprentice?"

"I did," Gabriel answered with a sad smile. "She died in the second year of the war."

"I'm sorry to hear that." It was a normal story these days. Almost everyone across the galaxy had lost someone or knew someone who lost someone in the Yuuzhan Vong War. That hell had taken trillions of victims, and many more had suffered as a consequence. It was considered the worst war in the galaxy's history in terms of loss of life, and that was saying something.

"Thank you," Gabriel replied, taking another sip, "Any siblings?"

"A brother and a sister," Halos replied. "Both were in the military. My brother died during the Battle of Coruscant, but my sister's still alive and well, became a Commodore in the Corellian Sector Fleet."

Gabriel nodded, smiling softly. "So your entire generation went into the Navy huh?"

Joseph nodded and chuckled. "We even switched sides together. You should have seen the look on Mon Mothma's face when three Star Destroyers jumped out of Hyperspace and broadcasted a surrender signal, we didn't know whether she was going to laugh or cry."

"You met the commander-in-chief of the Rebel Alliance?"

"We surrendered our ships to her." Joseph replied. "What about you Gabriel, any siblings?"

"Just my twin sister, and don't worry she's still breathing." Gabriel replied with a half joke. "Her name's Gabrielle, the craziest, most stubborn creature in the galaxy."

Halos chuckled, "Now that's saying something."

Gabriel found himself chuckling as well, before looking out the viewport. "I wish she was here. Crazy as she is she's a brilliant speaker; could rally anyone to a cause if she really set her mind to it."

"Sounds like someone we could have used." Joseph agreed wistfully.

Just then the comlink at the other end of the chamber began to beep, and after a moment the accented voice of Sor'ai's first officer filled the air. _"Admiral, we have just gained reports from the first wave of probes."_

_

* * *

_

The Admiral looked at the mass of information as it passed through the screen, bypassing all of the data until he found something which brought a small smile to his lips. The first wave of droids had sent back some promising reports, mainly on six star systems not far away from their location. Four held no signs of sentient life, just dead worlds and massive gas giants, but two showed promise, including a few worlds which had just the right amount of oxygen and hydrogen to be deemed liveable to most sentient species.

Sor'ai's OC, who he had just learned the name off, called over, "Sir, I think you should have a look at this."

Curious the Admiral walked over to the first officer, Alexander Cards, and looked over his shoulder. "What's the problem?"

"It's one of the probe droids, sir." The OC replied, hands typing the keyboard. "We've lost contact with it."

He frowned; probe droids were fully designed to last months in space. The only way a droid would black out was if it had a technical glitch or something destroyed it. "Do we have its last moments of footage?"

"I'm bringing it up now sir." Everyone watched as a hologram appeared above the table, showing a grainy picture of a planet, a beautiful orb of greens and blues, definitely one of the habitable planets they had gained information on. But then the Admiral saw something else.

"Is that a Space Station?" he asked, pointing at a dark silhouette resting on the planets orbit.

"I'm cleaning the image now sir, we should have a better picture in a moment." The commander replied, hands working feverishly as he cleaned up the picture and magnified. A moment later he brought the picture up again. It was a Space Station, a large cylindrical object resting in high orbit over the planet. Suddenly the camera swerved to the side, showing a line of objects stretching into the darkness.

"Are those defence platforms?" he asked.

Card zoomed in the image, showing a large platform. "They seem so sir, but they don't look like any I've ever seen. They certainly aren't Golan's."

"Off course not, if you tried to tell a Golan he made that he'd be liable to punch you in the face." Angela said as she studied the structure. It looked like an ancient helm, bristling with large weapon emplacements and smaller anti-air cannons. It looked crude, but also very effective. The sensors on the probe recorded a discharge and the last thing they saw was a line of yellow energy encompassing the camera, then nothing but static.

"Well they don't seem friendly," someone in the small huddle of officers remarked.

"Indeed, and I'm not sure I want to ask them for help, not when they're liable to blow us out of the sky first." Halos agreed. "What about the other system?"

"The probe didn't pick up anything sir. A sun in the prime of its life, seven planets orbiting it, three gas giants, an asteroid belt and one habitable planet." Card answered, looking over the data. "There are readings of a civilisation, but nothing attacked it as it went in and out of the system."

"It could just mean that it was lucky," Joseph replied. "We need to send a stealth fighter in to check it out. Card I want you to ask for volunteers."

"No need Admiral," all turned to see Gabriel enter the deck. "I'll take it up."

Joseph looked at the Jedi for a moment, "Are you sure?"

Gabriel nodded, "My Stealth-X was made for this kind of mission, and whether you admit it or not I'm one of the better pilots."

"Very well, get suited up." The Admiral nodded, before turning to the CO. "Contact Chief Lynd and ask him to have Master Sabbath's Stealth-X prepared."

"Yes, sir,"

"Simple recon Sabbath," the Admiral said, looking the younger in the eye. "Get in, look around and come back. No heroics, understood?"

He nodded, "Yes, Admiral."

* * *

It was a graveyard.

The burnt out hulls of warships, broken and useless, drifted through the darkness. Once they made up the defence force for this system, now they were no more. A silhouette, dressed in sleek armour of green with white, looked over the scene with piercing eyes of gold. They had overestimated the defences of this world.

She stood with an ethereal grace. Long slender legs took a few confident steps towards the viewscreen. They had lured the green skins to this world, away from their precious Exodite, because they had assumed the defences would have pulverised the horde and annihilated them before they could set foot on the planet. Clearly they had miscalculated.

Perhaps it was the age of these vessels, Mon'Keigh ships all looked the same to her, oversized and ugly. Perhaps the commanders were incompetent, unable to assemble in time to stop the hulking monstrosities the Orks used to traverse the space ways. Either way she had made a tactical error.

The Mon'Keigh were still fighting on the planet. Their Imperial Guard had dug their heels in and was even now fighting the green tide tooth and nail. One had to admire the human race for nothing more than their sheer stubbornness, their determination to never surrender.

A soft alarm echoed through the ship, almost unheard to human hearing, but a clear warning to her delicate pointed ears. Below her kinsmen, sitting at their stations, immediately set to work. The bridge was the same as the rest of the ship she commanded, a beautiful creation of sleek wraithbone superstructure, a work of art coloured in the greens and whites of her Craftworld.

_-"We have a new contact milady,"-_ one of her kin reported from his station. -_"It is faint but there."-_

_-"What is it?"-_ her musical voice echoed through the hollow construct of their bridge, soft and elegant. -_"Is it a new Capital-ship?"-_

_-"No milady, it appears to be more in size to a fighter."- _Her kinsman answered. -_"It is difficult to track, a type of stealth vessel no doubt."-_

She nodded, before turning back and sitting on her wraithbone control chair, crossing her legs and propping up her head with a slender hand. Something was calling to her through the warp, telling her that there was something important about this fleeting contact. -_"Launch a couple of fighters to investigate."-_

_-"At once milady,"-_


	3. Warm Welcome

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Warm Welcome**_

_**Author's Note 1: **_I would just like to say that I own neither Star Wars nor Warhammer 40K; these are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. The OC's are mine though.

_**Author's Note 2: **_A lot of people have been asking me if I'm going to be using all of the characters from my original story, and the answer to that is yes. I will be using their names and trying to build on their character. Although they will be different and their situations will be drastically changed from the original, some won't make an appearance until later in the story.

_**Author's Note 3: **_Thanks to alith anor, HopelessRomanticist, john777, Inquisitor Herron, Damien of the Shadows, FraserMage, Sparky555, Gforce member45, kagswst, Barbarossa Rotbart, AngelForm, Forgotten Honor, Kojiro Kun, onlooker38, Skipper 1337, Sgtkang, Numbuh Six-Sixtysix, Imperial Warlord, Akilis and citus334 (Got it right this time lol) for reviewing the second chapter of the story, so here's the third.

* * *

A warning beep from the HUD told him that he had reached his destination. Gabriel opened his eyes and stretched, groaning when he felt a few of his joints pop. He listened to his astromech droid as it went about its work with the occasional whistle or beep, and watched as the long lines surrounding his tiny ship reverted to real space.

His ship, a fairly new XJ3 series X-wing starfighter, or simply known commonly as an X-wing, was a heavily modified version of the fighter series, specially designed for stealth. It still sported its four laser cannons on the tips of its wings, and two of its original three proton torpedo launchers.

Its armoured hull was replaced by a matte-black fibreplast that rendered it almost invisible to the backdrop of stars. The third torpedo launcher was replaced by a gravitic modulator designed to defeat mass-detectors, and its shields had been downgraded to make room for a suite of sensor negators. Its fucial engines had been retooled to burn a special type of Tibanna gas, known as TibannaX that gave off no ion radiation. As well as this the new fuel also served to darken the efflux within a millisecond of fusion, making his exhaust invisible to anyone who wasn't halfway up his tailpipe.

In short the Stealth-X was as good as invisible visually and tactically, but its position could be given away either by firing a proton torpedo or trying to use the ships onboard comlink. For all intents and purposes he had to go silent if he didn't want to be found. He was on his own.

R9's sudden screeching brought him out of his reverie, making him unconsciously pull back on his joystick. He released a surprised cry when he saw the huge chunk of debris right in front of his ship and released a breath when the X-wing reacted to his command, climbing up and over the object before he could barrel head on into it.

"Phew, thanks for the warning R9," his astromech let out a series of beeps in response. Taking a deep breath Gabriel looked around, and his eyes widened at what he saw. That thing he nearly ran into wasn't an asteroid. It was the burnt out hull of a ship, nothing more than the skeletal structure with a few plates of armour still attached.

For as far as he could perceive he could see wreckage blocking out the stars, burnt out husks of huge vessels of different shapes and sizes. Masses of smaller debris was everywhere, from shards of armoured plating to steel crates to bodies who had suffered from the effects of decompression to the point where they were barely recognisable.

Gabriel gulped. This scene reminded him so much of a hundred different battles he had witnessed that for a second he thought he was dreaming. He looked to his right in time to see a circular chunk of debris, remains of a small section of hull armour. Gabriel looked at it closely, seeing a white double headed eagle, wings fully spread, etched onto the surface.

A shape blocked out the systems sun, and he looked up to see the silhouette of a massive ship, still mainly intact, but also as lifeless as the ruined remains surrounding it. According to his sensors the corpse could have been roughly thirteen kilometres from burnt out stem to stern, making it truly large in his opinion.

"Looks like a battle took place here." Gabriel breathed, hearing his droid make a beep of acknowledgement, "And a vicious one at that."

He moved his small ship with calm precision, junking and jerking left and right to avoid any large pieces of debris. There was a lot of it, and many times he saw a small flash against his shields as something small burned out against the barrier. Eventually he came to open space, leaving the remains of the half dozen ships behind.

Gabriel looked back, seeing the graveyard he had unknowingly jumped into. He brought his starfighter into a turn and slowed to a hover, overlooking the debris field. He viewed the remains of at least four ships of different shapes and sizes. Gabriel took a long look, and surmised that the vessels must have been between three kilometres and thirteen, warships as well by the partially intact weapon batteries he seen.

"What do you think R9?"

The droid replied with a small series of beeps and gurgle like noises. To anyone who wasn't familiar with astromech speech his beeps were just noise, but to a seasoned pilot his whistles were as clear as someone speaking Galactic Basic. "Yea, those do look like warships."

His droid responded with a small series of whistles, "You can't find anything on them huh?"

He was met with a series of what seemed like saddened beeps, "It's alright. I don't recognise any of those designs either. I need you to do a check on the database for me. Did you see that double headed eagle?"

He received an affirmative beep in reply. "Alright then, run it through the system and tell me if you find anything."

The droid replied with another affirmative beep, "Good lad."

For the first time he began to look around, eyes narrowing when he saw another hulk in the distance, then another, and another. Gabriel reached out with the force, and felt the residual energy of thousands, perhaps millions of recently deceased sentient beings. He heard the residual screams of every person and immediately shut himself off from the force, hand reaching up to massage his temple. He cursed his acute connection in several colourful sentences. His droid was familiar with his owner's habits, and promptly ignored him as he continued to scan the database.

R9-D4 considered himself to be a capable astromech droid. He had served his master faithfully for the better part of half a decade and prided himself on never letting the human down. So when the X-wings internal computer apprised him of two unknown contacts closing at an impressive speed he was quick to let him know.

Gabriel looked up from his reverie, and immediately turned his X-wing around in the direction of the approaching unknowns. He saw them as nothing more than tiny specks in the distance, rapidly gaining in size and mass until they zoomed right past him. The two ships were roughly the same size as his fighter but anything other than that was just a blur.

Quickly he grabbed the controls and pulled forward on the throttle, sending his X-wing shooting forward at full speed. The Jedi Master checked the readouts, seeing his S-foils locked and his speed at maximum he relaxed slightly, no ship could match the speed of a state-of-the-art X-wing starfighter with its S-foils locked, not even an A-wing or TIE Interceptor who were built for speed were capable of matching it.

So he was surprised to see the two fighter's not just keep up with him but slowly catch up. The worried beep of his R9 droid was the final straw. He hit a few runes, changing his piloting system from automatic to manual, and began to perform evasive manoeuvres. His first movement was to wait until they were within a few meters from his position, and then executed a sharp portside turn, watching with a smirk as they shot by him.

His smirk faded into a frown as they performed a sharp turn which should have been impossible for any conventional spacecraft. He growled, and then grabbing his joystick brought his X-wing into a sharp climb, followed by a steep dive.

"I'm no Luke Skywalker, but here goes." The two fighters kept up. He performed a sideways barrel roll and seeing another massive carcase of a multi-kilometre long warship turned his fighter right into it, letting the force guide his snubs movements. His fighter flew through a charred hole just large enough for his ship.

Gabriel risked a sideways glance to see the two ships break off, and breathed a sigh of relief. The hole was obviously the work of an extremely powerful energy blast, a through and through shot from one side of the burnt out husk to another. It was obviously the killing blow. His fighter just broke through, exiting through the exit hole on the other side of the craft. Once free he gunned his engines, and hoped that by the time it took his pursuers to navigate around the dead ship he could input his Hyperspace coordinates for the fleet.

R9 was halfway through the calculations when he released a shriek of warning, and Gabriel was forced to perform a barrel roll, taking himself from his route and disrupting his droids calculations. He placed his snub-fighter into a steep dive, daring his two assailants to follow him. To his annoyance they did, seemingly without even flinching.

"I'm getting annoyed with these guys." His droid replied with a series of equally annoyed beeps and whistles. "You would make a poor diplomat R9."

He took his fighter into a steep dive again, noticing for the first time the asteroid belt, a continuous stream of rocks ranging from the size of sports balls to the length and breadth of small continents. Gabriel saw them, grinned and changed his trajectory towards the belt, completely giving himself over to the force to guide his movements. Anyone who entered after him was either force sensitive, fearless or incredibly stupid.

He flew through the opening shield of rocks, and with the force as his ally began a delicate series of manoeuvres through the mass of asteroids, junking and jerking with the expertise of the seasoned fighter pilot that he was. He flew with a precision that his former master would have been proud, bypassing asteroids and rocks with a precognition that only Jedi Masters or Sith Lords were capable off.

So when he exited the asteroid field it was a surprise for him to have both fighters still on his tail, moving above and below the belt to continue the pursuit. Gabriel was stricken for a moment before he came across a very chilling conclusion. His opponent pilots had at least a basic understanding of precognition, meaning they were capable of knowing his next few moves.

A worrying thought indeed.

Gabriel thought about it for a few eternal moments, and then everything seemed clear to him. In a flash his free hand danced across his main controls. With great quickness he had switched his S-foils into attack position, slowing his X-wing down but also freeing up all four of his laser cannons. He took a deep breath and brought his fighter into a sharp turn whose G-force would have forced any lesser man into unconsciousness. He forced his fighter into a hover, and waited for his trackers to come to him.

It wasn't long until the two enemy fighters were right on top of him, stopping barely a couple of a dozen meters away. Gabriel and his two pursuers were placed in a standoff. He was capable of seeing the small craft that had harried him since he had entered the system. They were sleek, shaped like some kind of unknown bird of prey with wings. A slender body with a swan like neck. He saw no viewports or screens, giving him the impression that they were either automated vessels or had technology that no longer needed such things. He reached out with the force, and felt life within the two ships, what surprised him was when they reached back.

Surprised and spooked by the sudden intrusion Gabriel turned his X-wing around and began to fly. His assailants followed, this time firing, but instead of targeting him with concentrated bursts they were firing at him with short millisecond shots of white shard-like projectiles, all being absorbed by his ships weakened shields. It was almost as if they were trying to simply disable his ship, something Gabriel wasn't going to allow.

"You want to play huh," he muttered, before hitting a few more buttons on his console. An alarm began flashing on his dashboard, telling him that his shields were getting dangerously low. "Alright then let's play. R9, what do we have?"

He got a small series of beeps in response, "No I don't want to use the shadow bombs. I'm only interested in disabling their craft, not killing them."

His astromech released another series of beeps and whistles, "Mock-9 Ion bomb huh? Crude but effective, it could work."

He hit another switch, setting his little surprise to a three second timer and then pressed another switch, releasing the bomb. Mentally he counted down the timer, knowing full well that his two pursuers were right on his tail. The device, a small cylindrical object drifted through space until the timer went down to zero, then it activated its propulsion system just as the second vessel shot by, and detonated.

A wave of ionized blue energy shot out in all directions like a ripple, catching the rear fighter within its range. Raw electricity coursed through its sleek frame, and then it began to spin, drifting out of formation. Gabriel saw the small blip on his radar screen, and allowed a triumphant smile. That was one down.

The lead fighter was able to make it just out of the blast radius and continued to chase him, only this time he wasn't testing him anymore. Two torpedo-like objects launched from its ventral section, flying towards him at high speed. Gabriel listened as the early warning system blared and gritted his teeth, "Playtimes over huh? Well that's fine with me, deploying chaff."

A burst of chaff exploded from the rear section of his snub, tiny little probes barely the size of a human hand. Immediately the two missiles veered off course, the probes countermeasures messing up their telemetry and collided head on with the small swarm. Both torpedoes exploded in a series of two brilliant flashes. If the enemy ship had viewports it would have succeeded in temporarily blinding the pilot as well, sadly that wasn't the case, and it continued pursuit.

"Determined little bugger aren't you." Gabriel muttered, wincing when he saw small millisecond bursts of white light flash by his cockpit. The Jedi immediately placed his fighter into another series of swerves and turns, just missing the enemy fire. They weren't lasers, or ion blasts, or anything else he had ever seen before.

His droid released a small series of panicked beeps, and Gabriel felt the colour drain from his face. There was another contact, this one much larger than the two little fighters he had been evading until now. It was at least three hundred meters long by his long range sensors, and moving at an impressive speed.

"Well that's not good." R9's response was a series of even more panicked squeals as other contacts emerged from the larger craft, at least another six, "Nope, not good at all. Hang on tight!"

He quickly locked his S-foils and gunned his engines as hard as he could, choosing to flee from the small flotilla of contacts. His little unwanted wingman continued to doggedly keep up with him, and his radar systems showed the other fighter sized craft were also slowly gaining. "R9, we need a miracle."

That miracle came suddenly and only a scream of warning from the force stopped him from being splattered against its hull. There was a flash, and his cockpit viewport was overtaken by a huge mass of military gray armour. He performed a slick barrel roll, just missing the tipped front. It was too large for him to see what craft it was, but the name of the vessel, painted on the side, was enough for him to smile.

"You beautiful, beautiful baby you." He whispered, as he read the name _Sabre of Duros.

* * *

_

"It's definitely one of ours sir, X-wing, XJ3 series… sensors are having trouble picking it up so I'm guessing it's a Stealth-X."

The sensory officer's report seemed to bring a wave of relief throughout the bridge. For two days they had been wondering blindly, alone and without information in the void, performing risky microjumps into Hyperspace as they searched for the rest of the fleet. Now they had found one of their ships, it was just a starfighter, but the fact that only a Jedi could pilot a Stealth-X seemed to bring more relief to the bridge crew.

"Well it looks like our venerable Jedi Master has gotten himself into a spot of trouble." Tanquar Tills said in a watery voice. He stood on the observation deck, watching the hologram of the small snubfighter. The Mon Calamari then turned to his CO, "What of his pursuers?"

"The fighters have scattered sir, seems like our arrival spooked them a bit." His first officer, a Kel Dor, replied. "They are regrouping around their mothership."

The Captain nodded his head, before turning to the larger hologram of the unknown vessel. It was a beautifully designed ship, maybe three hundred meters in length, a long thin vessel bristling with weapon batteries. At the end of the ship were two fins, one dorsal, the other ventral, similar in design to a draconian wing. Its hull, too smooth to be of any known building material was coloured in greens and whites. He noticed a symbol on its bow, a cross with a heart above it.

"And what is their capital-ship doing?" he asked.

"Nothing from what we can see sir," his first officer replied. "She's stopped her pursuit, but she doesn't seem to be about to retreat either."

He nodded, "Kindly _request_ Jedi Sabbath to land in our hanger and come up to me please. Perhaps he knows where the rest of the fleet are."

"What about the ship sir?"

"Try and hail them, all channels."

"Yes sir." The man was about to begin, but was stopped.

"Captain, the fighters are returning to their mothership. The unknown vessel is swinging around."

Indeed the small ship was turning around, showing the Captain her rear engine nacelles as it retreated from their sight at a fast pace, a pace he was aware his ship was unable to keep up with. "Let it go. It doesn't seem to want a piece of us, and I'm not very sure we should get into a fight when we're on our own."

"Yes, Captain."

"Captain, Jedi Sabbath's fighter has landed." His communications officer reported from below him.

The Mon Calamari nodded, "Escort him up here, I need to speak with him."

* * *

_-Unknown vessel is not in pursuit, we're clear.-_

She didn't answer, remaining on her place before the viewscreen, watching the new vessel with a calculating eye. The vessel was a beautiful sight, not the work of art that was their ships, but still a very appealing appearance with its dagger shaped superstructure, sleek lines and light gray colour. She was a ship of war, of that she was certain. The gun turrets evenly spaced across the hull looked truly formidable, and she was aware of the hanger bay located on its ventral section.

What worried her was that in all her thousand years of life she had never seen a vessel even vaguely matching its description. The Eldar had very details maps of the galaxy, and knew the technological level of almost every race who had successfully reached for the stars. She had researched on the military ability of every race in the western sectors, the Mon'Keigh, Tau, Kroot, Vespid and even the elusive Demiurg.

Was there another race or collection of races out there in the void who had just recently taken to the space ways? No, that fighter her pilots had chased was definitely the product of an advanced galactic civilisation. She guessed from what she had seen that the fighter would be able to defeat almost any counterpart that the powers of the region, the Imperium and the Tau, could throw at it.

_- What are your thoughts, honoured Farseer? - _

She turned her head, settling an inquisitive gaze on the ships commander. He was a noble creature, tall and slender, young at only three hundred years with hair the colour of pitch black tied up in a topknot, pale skin and piercing vermillion orbs. She turned back to the screen, unconsciously slipping a strand of crimson hair behind her pointed ear. His lips hadn't moved, but that was not the only way her race could communicate.

_- I have never seen a ship of that design, meaning it is of a race we are unfamiliar with - _

_- Do you think they represent a danger? - _The commander's voice slipped into her mind, a sliver of concern.

_- I cannot say. The future is always in motion.-_

The young commander was silent for a moment - Y_our orders, lady Farseer?-_

_-Leave the system, but keep your sensors on that ship. We must follow it to its destination, everything will become clear.-_

_-Yes Farseer –_

Letting the Commander get on with his tasks the Farseer took a deep breath and spread out her awareness. Her very presence encompassed the entire ship; every member of the crew could feel her soft mental touch as she searched long and hard. Eventually she found her targets, the two pilots who intercepted the Stealth ship.

_-Report – _

Both started as her soft touch reached their minds. They were both young, inexperienced new recruits, barely seen a handful of skirmishes. They were naïve, untainted by the horrors of war and ignorant to the greater workings of the galaxy. She sensed their bruised pride at being defeated so soundly and their shame as well.

It was the eldest who spoke _– We intercepted the unknown contact as ordered milady Farseer. It was a small one man craft, a fighter converted for stealth purposes.-_

_-What were your insights on its capabilities? Its pilot?-_

She felt their shame and anger multiply, and frowned at their lack in control. The eyes and ears of the Great Enemy and of the Prince of Ecstasy in particular were always waiting for an Eldar to lose control of their emotions, so they could be dragged into the horrors and eternal damnation of the warp.

_-His ship was inferior to ours in every way Honoured Farseer. It was not as fast or as manoeuvrable. Its weapons included a crude ion based explosive and laser cannons on its four wings. Its wings were able to close, giving it impressive, yet still inferior bursts of speed.-_

_-I see. And the pilot?-_

_-The pilot was lucky, Honoured Farseer. He will not escape us again-_

_-That _lucky _pilot was able to disable one of your craft and evade your best efforts for over five minutes Pilot Freud. He was able to do all that without firing a shot. That is not luck that is skill. Do not underestimate an opponent just because they are not Eldar-_

Freud was surprised by his superiors scathing remark, and dipped his head in shame. – _Forgive me for my arrogance Honoured Farseer. But I believe he was a Psycher of some fashion. To do some of the things he did… he must have had at least a basic ability in divination.-_

_-There is something else-_

_-There is. When we were in the middle of the chase he stopped and turned his ship around. We were facing each other, and he reached out to me-_

_-Explain-_

_-I could tell that he was Mon'Keigh, but he did not have the normal sense of barely kept control and explosive instability. He was calm, in control, serene.-_

_-Serene?-_

_-Yes Honoured Farseer, serene. It almost felt like he wasn't using the warp at all-_

That was indeed different. In all her years on the battlefield she had encountered many human Psykers. Some were stable, but most were not, and none were stable to the point of giving off an air of serenity. Then it hit her. There was one she had met, many years ago, who had that same air. She had faced him and his crimson blade in combat, and only just escaped alive. Was this Psyker of the same ilk?

_-Dismissed-_

She left their minds before they could comply.

* * *

"You have no idea how happy we are to see a familiar face, Jedi Sabbath." Tills croaked in a gravelly voice. The Mon Calamari stood looking out over the sea of stars, webbed hands clasped behind his back as the Jedi came to a stop a few meters behind him.

"Not as happy as me Captain, I can assure you." Gabriel replied, offering the Captain a polite bow.

"Captain, the unidentified vessel has left the system." His second in command reported.

Tills nodded, "Thank you Mister Brool. Why was that ship chasing you Master?"

Gabriel frowned, "I'm not sure. I was sent ahead of the fleet to scout out the system, but when I got here I was pursued by a duo of fighter. I was able to disable one, and then the mothership arrived."

"Were they trying to attack you?"

"Yes and no," Gabriel answered. "They were chasing me, firing at me. But it seemed more like they were trying to disable my ship, at least until I disabled one of theirs."

Tills nodded, before turning to look at the Jedi. Gabriel was smiling, "The Admiral will be happy to see that you're all alive, Captain."

"Not as happy as we'll be to be back in the safety of the fleet." The Mon Calamari answered. "Now Master Sabbath would you kindly give my people the fleets coordinates?"

Gabriel was more than happy too, and ten minutes after he stepped onto the decking the kilometre long form of the _Nebula-class _Star Destroyer stretched out and vanished in a flash of incandescent light, performing a small series of microjumps to lose any would be pursuers. On its third jump the coordinates to the fleet were typed in.

The _Sabre of Duros _dropped out of hyperspace in the middle of the void, great ion engines flaring as all of its main systems came back online. Captain Tills and Master Sabbath looked out over the sea of stars. The bridge was tensely silent, waiting with baited breath as the Captain nodded to his communications officer.

The officer, a young woman in her mid-twenties, nodded her head and slipped on her headphones. She set the hailing to all frequencies, at maximum distance and spoke in a honeyed voice. "This is the Alliance ship _Sabre of Duros _to the _Guardian,_ do you read, over?"

The entire crew seemed to hold their breath as the seconds ticked by, then the comlink crackled and the unmistakable feminine voice of the Super Star Destroyer's Com Officer scratched through, her voice excited. "_Sabre of Duros, _this is the _Guardian. _Welcome back!"

Immediately the tense silence bled out of the bridge, followed by a piercing series of joyful cries and roars. All across the Star Destroyer was a similar story. The second the _Guardians _Com Officers voice broke through every man and woman burst in cheers of joy. After two days lost and alone in the eternal void of space they had rejoined the fleet, they were no longer alone.

* * *

Well away from Alliance sensors a tear appeared in the very fabric of space, silently pulling open the realm between the material world and the alternate dimension which was the webway. Within was an explosion of electric energy, whitish blue and all consuming. It was from this unnatural phenomenon that the Eldar vessel appeared from.

The _Hemlock _Destroyer _Melody of Isha_ exited like an ancient submarine breaking through the waters of a planet's ocean. Onboard this vessel the Biel-Tan Farseer stood, now fully garbed in her body-hugging mesh armour and cloth, too those Eldar who saw her she looked like a deadly, yet beautiful creature, white armour with green trim, shimmering green and royal red cloth framing her trim waist and elegantly long legs. Held under her arm was her slim helm, as elegant and well crafted as the woman holding it.

Eleven of these ships were clearly escorts, ranging in size from a kilometre to a kilometre and a half in length. They were all of a similar design. That of dagger and sword-like shapes. She sensed their power, their purpose, and their strength. These ships were created for a simple purpose, and that purpose was to wage war.

But those vessels paled in comparison to the flagship, which dwarfed its smaller brethren by an unbelievable size. It was a monstrous vessel, nineteen kilometres in length with enough firepower to destroy anything in its path. It was also sleek, sleeker than even its smaller escorts. It was larger than any frontline warship the Mon'Keigh could field, definitely capable of taking on one of their titanic Battleships.

She looked to the ships commander, then caste her gaze over the assembled Eldar below her. Her voice rang through their minds, showing her kin her great power in the warp. She gained approval from among her subordinates and turning her head nodded to the ships commander, who began giving out orders to the pilot. She felt the ship begin to move towards the fleet of unknown vessels.

The soul stones, held in her right hand began to shine a multitude of colours. This was the right path to take. She had divined as such.


	4. Surprise Guests

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Surprise Guest**_

_**Author's Note 1: **_I would just like to say that the characters and galaxy's of Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively.

_**Author's Note 2: **_It appears that the old argument of whose galaxy is stronger is starting up again. So here is my opinion. STAR WARS RULES…nah just kidding. I have a good enough idea of how the different technologies will pane out, and you will get information on my opinion as the chapters go by.

_**Author's Note 3: **_For anyone who doesn't believe a Star Destroyer packs the type of punch I showed I can tell you that it really can. A single _Imperial-class _has the firepower to turn a planet's surface into glass in under a day, a fleet in a few hours and an _Executer _can do it in no time at all. It is one of their main designs, to bombard planets and to engage in long range warfare.

_**Author's Note 4: **_Thanks to HopelessRomanticist, alith anor, Amir-015, Forgotten Honor, Sparky555, Starspawn07, 19Gasper90, AngelForm, Skipper 1337, Damien of the Shadows, Madfrog2000, Imperial Warlord, Northern-megas, Akilis, SgtKang, Lord of Murder and Harteramo for reviewing on this latest chapter. Thanks guys!

**_Author's Note 5: _**On another note a few people have been asking me about a few names I used for Captain's within the fleet, and here's the truth. I did it to voice my support for another Fanfic writer whose doing a completely Original Star Wars story. The Authors name is Darth Mars and his story is called The Last Jedi, I would recommend it to any Sci-fi reader whose looking for a change of pace to the usual Star Wars story. It's also supposed to be Mars last Star Wars fanfic, which leaves me feeling a little saddened. Oh well.

* * *

The celebratory mood was not just felt by the crew of the _Sabre of Duros_. The crews of every ship in the Alliance fleet broke into a series of celebratory cheers of joy and relief with the return of their lost vessel. It seemed like there was a chance that the other two would eventually be found. The ships return boosted morale and hope in the crews of the fleet from the deck hands and pilots to the engineers and soldiers.

Joseph Halos smiled triumphantly as he looked down at the crew pits of his mammoth flagships bridge, the cheers were almost deafening. The comlink officer, an attractive Sephi with blonde hair and pearly skin was being embraced by those around her, almost to the point where she was lifted from her seat. Such was the problem with being the bearer of good news.

"Com Officer Christa, bring our wayward brothers home." He called from his place.

"Yes, sir," she smiled before sitting back in her chair and putting on her headphones.

"And get me a direct link to Captain Trills."

"Yes, sir,"

That smile still on his face the Admiral walked across the central walkway, separating the two crew pits, to the entrance of the security foyer, crew members flew back and forth, manning the computer systems attached to the walls. Captain Flore was there, a triumphant smile of her own as she looked over an ensign's shoulder to a wall monitor, showing the dagger shape of the _Sabre _as it neared the Alliance fleet.

She looked at him with a bright smile. "Good news Admiral."

"Very good news Captain," Joseph replied. "Makes me believe we'll find the other two."

She nodded, smile replaced with her serious façade. "We'll find them sir, count on it."

His comlink beeped, _"Admiral, I have Captain Tills on the line for you."_

"Put him through to the communications console." Halos ordered, and watched as the consoles main screen flickered to life, showing the Mon Calamari officer on the bridge of his own vessel, but he wasn't alone and Joseph found himself smiling all the more as he saw the familiar form of the fleets lone Jedi Master.

"It is a relief to see you again Captain. It seems our residential Jedi Master has found you." Joseph greeted.

"_More like he found me,"_ Gabriel replied with a sheepish smile.

"_Master Sabbath was being harassed by a small vessel of unknown design when we found him."_ Tills explained, _"I would say it was a small picket, a Frigate of some variety."_

This sobered the atmosphere for the Admiral, and those around him. "Were you attacked?"

"_They broke off pursuit after our arrival,"_ the Captain explained. _"But it seemed more like they were trying to disable Sabbath's fighter."_

"_There's more. The pilots I fought had a basic ability in precognition. They knew what I was about to do before I did it."_ Gabriel explained.

"Are you saying they were force sensitive?"

"_No, not through the force, it felt different."_ Gabriel explained with a frown, like he was trying to make sense of it himself. _"Their level of technology is impressive. They were able to find my Stealth-X in full stealth mode. Their fighters are faster and more manoeuvrable than an XJ3, and I bet they're probably more advanced than even our new XJ7's. The only advantage I had was my experience. My opponents were amateur fighter pilots."_

Joseph nodded his head, "Were you followed?"

"_The ship left the system after we arrived."_ Tills answered. _"Even if they followed us we made two random hyperspace jumps before we rejoined the fleet. If they were following us I am confident that we lost them."_

"What about the star system, Gabriel, what did you discover before you were ambushed?"

"_There was a battle fought there, and recently. The wreckage of dozens of ships littered the space surrounding the planet. I had my R9 unit run a full search for the designs and symbols we found in the wreckage, but he run up a blank."_

"_Before we left the system we checked on the planet with our long range scanners. There's a lot of activity going on down there. I'd say theres a war being fought, at least a half dozen major engagements, and a lot of fire being exchanged."_

Halos allowed a few seconds to pass. "Did you leave anyone to check on the planet further?"

"_No Admiral,"_ the Captain replied. _"Considering there was only our ship I found jumping into someone else's war to be the worst thing to do."_

He nodded. "That's exactly what I would have done. We'll just continue onward for now at full sublight. I will schedule a meeting of the Captain's to see what our next move should be… Gabriel I want you at the meeting."

Before the Jedi had time to answer the halls of the Super Star Destroyer came alive with warning claxons, a powerful noise that rang the Admirals ears. "Unknown ship has just entered sensor range, bearing sector eighty seven at alpha, zulu, six, eight, nine and closing fast."

Both Gabriel and Sor'ai were by the sensor officer's side in an instant, "How many vessels?"

"Just the one sir,"

"Scramble scouting squadrons," Joseph ordered.

"_That ship,"_ he heard Tills voice over the screen. _"It's the same one that was pursuing Master Sabbath."_

"They did follow us after all." Gabriel added.

"Bring us up to level two combat readiness, now!"

"A single picket approaching an entire fleet, are they insane!"

"Captain Tills, pick two ships of your choice and meet them head on!"

"_Yes sir."_

_-That will not be necessary.-_

A hologram appeared right in the middle of the deck, startling all within the foyer. It showed a woman, tall and elegant, dressed in a type of armoured battle dress in clean white, shimmering green and royal red. Her face was a beautiful visage of striking sharp features, long crimson hair, and pale skin, piercing golden eyes and pointed ears which reminded Halos of the Sephi people back home.

Her eyes, startlingly clear and almost supernatural, looked upon those on the bridge. Her orbs seemed to linger on Sor'ai for a moment, before settling on him. She spoke, a sensual voice which reminded the Admiral more of a soft symphony, and to his surprise it was perfect, if accented, basic. _"I wish to speak with the commanding officer of this fleet."_

Joseph was quick to recover, and brought himself to his full height. "That would be me, Admiral Joseph Halos of the Galactic Alliance Core Fleet, and you are?"

"_Macha, Farseer Aldrich Macha of the Biel-Tan Craftworld." _

Halos nodded. He had never heard of a place called Biel-Tan, and wasn't familiar with the title she introduced herself with, Farseer, one who could see? It sounded more like a title one would give a religious leader or High standing individual in an Order like the Jedi. "I take it that was your craft that attacked my scout?"

"_It was the work of inexperienced pilots who wished to prove themselves. I simply wished to investigate an unknown contact." _The Farseer replied idly. _"I wish to begin again Admiral, a clean slate as it were."_

"What is it that you want?"

"_A first contact Admiral, it is obvious your fleet are new here. We Eldar have thoroughly explored the galaxy, and this is the first time we have come across such vessels as what you possess."_

Joseph frowned, these ships were a pretty common sight in the Alliance navy, and the GFFA was a massive organisation encompassing over a hundred thousand habitable star systems, nearly three times that many worlds and thousands of races. If these people had explored the majority of the galaxy and not come into contact with the Alliance, well, that was a troubling thought. It possibly meant that they were farther away from home than they originally believed, much farther.

"_I would wish to speak with you face to face Admiral." _Macha's voice pierced through his worried mind.

"Certainly, milady," Joseph replied, recovering quickly once more. "Should we come to you, or you come to us?"

"_I believe I will come to you, as a gesture of good faith."_

_

* * *

_

The Eldar transport that detached from the Destroyer was the same as every other craft in their navy. Sleek and elegant, a small ship at barely thirty meters from its aft to its stern, it was of a spear-like design, long and slender, capable of holding a small strike team in its hold, or in this case a diplomatic group.

Two Darkstar fighters fell into formation, flanking the small Ghostship as it made its approach to the largest of the Alliance fleet. Half way to their destination the honour guard was joined by four XJ7 X-wing starfighters. The new escorts formed up in a diamond formation around the three Eldar vessels. Once they were within range the escorts broke off, the Eldar to the left, the Alliance to the right, allowing the single Ghostship to enter the main hanger bay of the _Guardian. _

It passed through the energy shield protecting the hanger from vacuum, causing the barrier to flash blue and ripple as if a rock was dropped into a pond of still water. Every starfighter and bomber within the hanger had been moved into orderly lines at the sides, allowing the Eldar transport plenty of room to land. The Ghostship landed with barely a sound, landing struts extending to make contact with the decking.

As the Eldar vessel landed a full battalion of Alliance Troopers rushed forward, forming two columns on either side of the ramp, thirty across and ten deep. Troopers made the backbone of the young Galactic Alliances armed forces, and were truly intimidating, dressed in dark navy blue carapace armour with black trim, and bullet shaped helms with slit black visors. They were also well armed with new state-of-the-art Blastech E23 Blaster Rifles, held firmly against their chest, as well as a DC-15 sidearm Blaster Pistol and a vibroknife holstered to their black utility belts.

The ramp lowered just as the last few Troopers stood in position, lowering with such silence that many men among the honour guard minutely turned their heads to make sure. A single burst of steam was the only sound indicating that the ramp had opened. Several figures emerged, all wearing similar armour, slender and smooth, coloured in white with shades of green.

Four soldiers departed first, and he assumed they were common troopers. They wore smooth white combat armour, made of a material he was not familiar with, with green trim, crest shaped helms covered their heads and in their hands were sleek, long barrelled rifles of some description, held almost casually. Then was their leader, who had opted to keep her crescent shaped helm under her left arm.

She was a striking woman with her long pointed ears and pale skin, sharp features, long hair of brilliant, almost shimmering crimson and piercing eyes of gold. She wore a similar, yet more extravagant version of her guards armour. There was a small section of spikes behind her head, and her lower half was covered by cloth of vibrant green and blood red. The form of the armour gave him no illusion that she wasn't female, in fact he was amazed by how form fitting the armour seemed to be.

Halos stood at the end of the line with his own entourage of senior officers, Flore flanked his left, Sabbath his right. The Admiral turned his head slightly in the Jedi masters direction. He had asked that the young man fly back to the Super Star Destroyer, in fact his Stealth-X was one of but a few not in the formational lines. The Eldar seemed to notice the ship, although they hid it well.

As they came within a few meters they stopped, and taking his cue the Admiral stepped forward, fully garbed in his white dress uniform with golden trim. He bowed respectfully. "I welcome you to the _Guardian,_ Farseer Macha of Biel-Tan. I am Joseph Haloes, Admiral and commanding officer within this fleet."

The Farseer stepped forward, and bowed her head lightly. She spoke in heavily accented basic, like she had not spoken the language in a very long time. "I thank you for allowing us to enter your vessel Admiral Halos. I am Farseer Aldrich Taldeer of the Biel-Tan Craftworld."

"It is a pleasure to have you, Farseer." Halos responded with the proper decorum. "But I would prefer that we take this conversation to more secure surroundings, if you would please follow me."

The woman nodded, and together the two groups exited the hanger bay and entered the small maze of passageways that led to a mass of different places. Only one came in mind to the Admiral however, one of several meeting chambers for secret meetings or for use by two different political parties. Even though he trusted all those onboard the chambers were swept for bugs at least thrice a day, and this made them the most secure facilities on the Star Dreadnought.

The room was a small and clean facility, a rounded chamber with an equally rounded table in the centre. There were no windows or decoration other than the Alliance symbol decorating the centre of the durasteel table.

Halos, Flore and Sabbath took seats at the far end of the table, allowing the Farseer to casually sit herself at the other end. Her two guards flanked her left and right, and his troopers mirrored the movements with him. He noticed two of her soldiers stationed outside the room next to the two troopers he left there.

"I suppose introductions are unnecessary Farseer," Halos said as he leaned forward, hands clasped on the table. "But the two with me are Sor'ai Flore, Captain of this vessel and Gabriel Sabbath, Jedi Master of the Jedi Order."

Both Sor'ai and Gabriel nodded their heads in greeting, but the Farseer seemed interested in only the Jedi. "You were the one flying that stealth ship."

It was not a question; it was a statement of fact. "I was."

She nodded in response, before turning back to Halos, studying him with a piercing gaze. "I suppose I will ask the question first. Where are you from? What is your purpose here?"

Joseph sat back in his chair, his own orbs of gray scanning his counterpart. "I am a firm believer in information of equal value being exchanged during opening negotiations, milady."

The Farseer's head tilted slightly to the right, "Very well. I am a Farseer of the Craftworld of Biel-Tan, a massive starship easily the size of a planet which holds a population of over twelve billion of my people."

"So your people are wonderers?"

She raised a delicate finger, "I answered my question Admiral, now you answer yours."

"Very well," Joseph replied, before taking a breath. "We are a fleet of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, a federal republic spanning over a hundred thousand habitable star systems, thrice as many worlds and several thousand sentient races."

Macha nodded as her mind digested the information, a federal republic of over a hundred thousand habitable systems. If there was such a nation then she was confident her people would have known off it. She felt no lie in his voice, or any trace of it in his eyes, features or posture. She brushed his mind, took in his surface thoughts and they let her know that he believed in what he told her. This led to one very worrying result.

He was telling the truth.

But a nation of a hundred thousand habitable systems would be too large to not go unnoticed. If they were from this galaxy then they would have made contact with the human Imperium by now. "There is only one possible solution I can surmise. You are not from this galaxy."

"We thought as much." Sor'ai replied, and from the Farseer's curious glance she explained. "Our form of faster-than-light travel requires very detailed maps of the galaxy in order to work effectively, which means that every officer needs to know a great deal about the galaxy's main star constellations. We have run thorough scans, and have found not one constellation that is recognisable to our systems."

"I believe we may be able to assist you with that." Macha replied after a moment. "We have access to old maps and star charts of the galaxy. Perhaps they will be able to help you navigate."

"That would be most helpful," Halos allowed. "Up until now we've been able to plot successful jumps with the help of recon droids, but their numbers are limited. Eventually we will run out of them, and then we'll be stuck exploring the old fashioned way."

"How did you get here Admiral?" Macha asked, eyes narrowing.

"Classified, all I can tell you is that we were participating in an experiment and it went horribly wrong." Joseph looked the Farseer in the eyes. "As for our purpose Farseer Macha, my only purpose is to get my people home, back to their families and the safety of Alliance space. I want to make it clear that we are not the advanced forces of an invasion, and our coming here was not planned."

She looked him in the eyes, before sitting back in her seat. "I believe you, and rest assured I will try and help you with what information I can. There is one thing I would like to ask you, Admiral?"

"And what might that be?"

"To aide us,"

"How so?"

"The system where we met your ship is in the middle of a large scale conflict, and we would like your help in making sure that the defenders win." She explained.

"Why would you want that?"

"If this planet falls then several worlds we protect will be placed in the path of a monstrous, innumerable tide of death and violence. I have already contacted my Craftworld in hopes of reinforcements, but it is on the other side of the sector. They will not be able to send help in time."

"There's more to this than your saying." Gabriel spoke up for the first time. "What is it?"

She looked him in the eyes, and a conversation seemed to pass between them. Then Gabriel's eyes widened and he seemed to sag into his chair. "You were the reason why they're there. You diverted the invaders to that world."

The Eldar seemed surprised that he was able to glean such information, but not as surprised as the two Alliance commanders in the room. She leaned back, studying the Jedi master with a new light. "We thought the planet's orbital defences were sufficient to destroy the invaders before they set foot on their world, but we miscalculated."

"What," Halos asked, before his eyes narrowed. "So you want us to clean up your mess?"

"This is a galaxy of many factions, many dangers and many dark secrets. In exploring this place you will be forced to rethink what you believe. You will be tested severely and you will be forced to fight either for your own defence or the defence of anyone you decide to ally yourself with." The Eldar leaned forward.

"We do not fear the unknown." Halos replied.

"You will Admiral, you will." She said, and her tone left a chill running up the middle aged veteran's spine. For an eternity Halos and Macha's eyes were locked, sizing each other up, before the Admiral closed his eyes and sighed.

"We'll do it." Halos said as he stood up. "But not for you, we'll do it for the people of that planet. In exchange we want those star maps and charts, all of them, and whatever information you have of the factions and dangers in this galaxy."

The Farseer stood, nodding her head. "The information you seek will be yours. Our ship will remain and provide what support we can."

* * *

"I don't like it." Rosso stated, wiping a strand of red hair from her delicate features. Joseph studied the Captain. Marie Rosso was an Imperial, born and raised on the planet Bastion, once an important world in the Outer-rim, now the capital of the Imperial Remnant and arguably one of the most well defended. He had fought beside her in the latter half of the war, and she was a fine commander with a real sense of what to do and what not to do. "This could very well be a trap."

"I agree with Rosso." S'Artin added. The middle aged man, a human native from New Alderaan was as strong and wise as any man his age. "These Eldar have already fired shots at one of our ships, and now in exchange for information they want us to clean up one of their messes."

Tills cleared his throat. "My ship did extensive scans before we rejoined the fleet. There are no vessels anywhere near the planet, only dead hulks."

"Then how did these invaders make it to the surface without ships?" Klinti Sontar asked. The woman's face set in a frown. A member of the force sensitive Miraluka people, she did not have eyes, instead relying on the force to see. She was one of a few people in the fleet with the capability to become a Jedi. The delicate skin which hid her eye sockets was covered up by a white cloth. She, like everyone else here was considered one of the best in the combined navies of the allied powers.

"According to the Farseer they utilise asteroids to ferry their people to different worlds, using whatever technology they can salvage." Sor'ai answered. "It's crude, but apparently they are very sturdy and effective in their tasks."

"So these people basically don't have any space forces', meaning that they're army is grounded with some aerial units." Chadaara Mynn surmised. The Togruta was a rarity in the Alliance navy, as most Togruta tended to remain on their home world and surrounding colonies. Females were far more likely to leave their planets than males, and like everyone else here she was one of the best. "We could wipe their invading army out with well placed airstrikes and orbital bombardment tactics, and then mop them up with Aerial Calvary units."

"If we try that casualties should be fairly light and the defenders should be able to do most of the mopping up once we finish our assault and get our people out of there." Jaayza Loonta concluded. The Twi'lek was several years older than Sor'ai, her skin was crimson and her lekku were wrapped around her neck instead of allowed to flow down her back, but like all others of her race she was a striking creature, and a fine tactician.

"That is correct," Halos said. "We don't need to get completely involved in the conflict, just meddle with it enough that the overwhelming edge favours the defending side. We jump in, launch our assault, regroup and jump out again."

"But do we have to just hit and run?" Jin Shandor frowned. The man was one of the eldest Captains in the fleet at sixty odd years of age, a native of Chandrilla, and one of the most respected veterans in the fleet. "Perhaps we could see if these people are capable of aiding us."

Joseph thought about his elder Captain's question, before turning to the Farseer's lithe form. "Tell us about the two factions battling for control of the planet, both the invaders and the defenders."

Macha nodded, and glided up beside the Admiral, eyes scanning the holotable for a handful of seconds. She reached inside her wraithbone utility belt, and extracted a tiny crystal shaped device from one of the pockets, barely the size of a human thumb. "This will do."

She set it down on the table's surface, and almost immediately it shone to life, light firing from the tip and forming into a hologram. Joseph looked at the small device for a moment, knowing that it was a highly advanced form of holographic technology. An image of a monstrous alien appeared, runes of an unknown language scrolling down the left hand side.

Its body was a shade of green, riveted with muscle, claws on the ends of their five fingered hands, long faces with sharp, omnivorous teeth, and beady glowing red eyes. They were roughly twice the bulk and height of a human male, and looked fully capable of ripping one in half with little effort. The specimen was armed with a crude projectile weapon, and a huge cleaving war axe, clothed in what looked like animal skin with ammunition belts around its body and a crude helm on its head.

Macha spoke, "These are the invading force, known as Orks. The most dominate subspecies of the Orkoid race. Their physiology is a combination of animal and fungal based life forms. They do not reproduce like most sentients do, instead relying on a kind of photosynthesis like plants to multiply. Once they land on a world they spread, and are almost impossible to eradicate completely. They are warlike and merciless, known for culling whole worlds of sentient life during one of their Waagh's."

The Captains were silent as they heard the information. Some took it in stride, while others looked at the hologram in horror and intrigue. "Their social structure is simply the biggest and most powerful get the power, while all others join one of their warbands in search of deadlier opponents to fight against. There are a string of Empires across the galaxy, but they are rarely if ever united unless there is a greater foe to fight against."

Joseph studied the creature before him, "And what of the defenders?"

Before he could finish the sentence the holographic image of the Ork was replaced by another one, this one of a human male, dressed in dark green armour with olive battledress. He held a crude looking blaster against his chest, a holstered pistol and combat knife, with a belt covered in grenades. "The Mon'Keigh, or humans are one of the most numerous races in the galaxy. They hail originally from their homeworld of Terra, and in the thousands of years since they have carved out a massive empire. The Imperium of Man encompasses over a million worlds and is the dominant force in the galaxy."

"Perhaps we could ask them for help?" Jin said again.

"I would not advice it."

"Why not?"

"Because the humans of the Imperium are highly xenophobic, and are known for annihilating entire races of alien beings in their quest for expansion. Although in recent times they have shown the ability to compromise with other alien powers they are still distrustful, and considering nearly sixty percent of your crews are not human-"

"They would probably massacre all humanoid and sentient races who could not pass for human on sight." Joseph finished for her. This was even worse than the old Galactic Empire, sure non-human sentients were considered second-class-citizens, but even then the old Empire didn't eradicate entire alien populations for just being there. "I'm not going to take that risk with our people."

Shandor nodded his head, "Very well, Admiral."

"I have decided to go ahead with this operation. We will be aiding these Imperial defenders with aerial strikes, and precision orbital bombardment only, no AirCal, and no getting bogged down. Farseer Macha has offered to have her own fighters guide our fighters and bombers to the important targets. Your targets are troop concentrations, heavy artillery posts and any airfields you may find. Rip the fight out of these Orks."

All nodded their heads in agreement, and one by one the holograms representing the eleven other Captains flickered out of existence, back to the command decks of their own Star Destroyers. Joseph and Sor'ai remained seated, the Admiral looking out over the now empty command chamber. He looked to Sor'ai, then to the Jedi and finally levelled his gaze on the Farseer.

"We will begin in an hour."

* * *

The silence of upper orbit was shattered by a mass of flashes as the twelve warships of the Galactic Alliance returned to existence. The _Guardian _was the last to arrive, a great monster among a mass of tiny daggers. Anyone who looked up from the planet's surface would have been able to see her.

Joseph looked out over the expanse of blues, greens and whites. He could see from his holotable the areas where the heavy fighting was taking place. Several cities on the planet were smouldering ruins, uncountable billows of black smog partially covering up the once great metropolises. But the Admiral knew they were lifeless ruins of what they once were.

In the northern hemisphere of the largest continent a massive battle was taking place, lines of disciplined soldiers standing fast against an ocean of green, protecting the last great city, the capital, from the endless tide of hulking monstrous Orks. Even from a distance they looked like intimidating warriors, most standing a full head taller than most humanoids. They didn't have a standard battle dress, instead armed with whatever they seemed to be able to get their hands on. Many were armed with crude projectile weapons and cleaving blades, he spotted old and worn tanks and walkers scattered amongst the masses of infantry.

The defenders were outnumbered by at least ten to one, but they were well dug in, and had assembled whole corps of vehicles including tanks, walkers, armoured vehicles and mobile artillery. Some ten thousand human soldiers had dug themselves into a series of trenches between the city and the horde, ready to defend themselves to the last man.

The Admiral looked at the combat zone for the longest time, fully aware that the Eldar Farseer was watching him, and finally nodded to Sor'ai, who turned on the comlink. "This is Admiral Halos to all ships. Launch fighter and bomber squadrons. _Vigilance, _prepare for a full ten second orbital bombardment of the chosen sector."

At his command the hanger bays of the _Guardian _came alive as pilots all rushed to their assigned fighters and bombers, all fully fuelled and armed for this assault. The _Guardian _was fully complimented with almost a thousand starfighters and bombers, all clamped into racks in the rafters of the main hanger bays. One by one the clamps disengaged, allowing the smaller starfighters to hover their way down and out through the hanger bay doors.

Within two minutes of the order being issued five full squadrons of X-wing starfighters launched, protecting a further three squadrons of new K-wing bombers. Sixty starfighters, guarding an additional thirty six bombers broke the atmosphere of the planet. The moment they hit the stratosphere they broke off into three smaller groups, each moving to their own assigned targeting coordinates.

From the smaller Star Destroyers emerged squadron of different classes, from X-wings to A-wings, TIE Interceptors, TIE Defenders, B-wings, Y-wings, K-wings, all supported by a small number of Gunboats. They were not to support the assault though. They were simply there to make sure no one tried to attack the fleet while they were in orbit.

Halos watched as the assault squadrons vanished from his screen, the flares that showed their entrance into the atmosphere already going out. He bowed his head, "God speed."

* * *

Victor Strum, Colonel and commander of the 92nd Anglo Airborne Regiment peered over the edge of his trench, looking out at the green sea of Orks that was even now advancing. He looked down at his weapon, a simple bolt pistol, and quickly checked the magazine to make sure he had a full clip of ammunition. He was going to need it.

His regiment, once numbering five thousand strong, now numbered a basic six hundred and thirty five men and women at arms. They had been forced into a tactical retreat from the city of New Hampshire, all the way up to the capital, Londinium. There they regrouped with a dozen other regiments of Anglo Primes Planetary Defence Force, or PDF. Some of the PDF regiments were down to only three hundred and fifty men. Altogether the remains of twelve regiments had assembled in the cities trench defences, ten thousand survivors out of sixty thousand.

And the green skin menace had followed them all the way.

Over a hundred thousand of the Emperor be damned monsters had assembled and were advancing on them with a deafening chorus of waghs. It made his blood run cold. His men were not even seasoned soldiers. They were farmers and shopkeepers, part-time soldiers, with basic training in firearms and hand to hand weapons. There were a few veterans of the Imperial Guard in their ranks, but not very many, and most were already dead.

Already the men of the PDF were firing from the trenches with lasguns, and pistols. Lascannons and Multi-lasers were positioned at key positions along the line. They even had a few plasma and projectile weaponry, though not many. He watched as Orks were hit with lasers, plasma and projectile rounds, only to be replaced by ten more. Entire lines of the green skin infantry went down only to be replaced by more, the line behind easily climbing over their comrades to continue the charge.

The artillery batteries, located a kilometre behind the trenches opened up with a mass of withering fire, the streams of smoke and flame flying dozens of meters above their heads before gravity brought her down right into the middle of the tide, sending dozens of green skins flying in a mass of bodies and limbs. Still they advanced, roaring their delight, almost as if they knew no fear at all.

The soldier beside him took a projectile round to the face. The bullet making his head explode on impact in a mass of shattered bone and bloody viscera. The headless body fell backwards onto the ground, twitching. Growling the Colonel brought his bolt pistol up and disgorged his entire clip into the green wall of Orks, before ejecting the spent cartridge and slamming in a new one.

At a rate of nearly three thousand casualties the Ork horde had advanced halfway between the killing fields and the first line of trenches, and Strum came to a decision. It was a dead given that they were going to die, the only question was how many of the green skinned bastards they could take with them.

"In the name of the Emperor, the Saints and the Primarchs!" he shouted across the line of soldiers, continuing to pour laser, and projectile fire into the approaching horde. "Keep firing until you have no ammo, then fight with your knife until it is blunt, then fight with your bare hands until you can fight no more! Fight for your sons, daughters, wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, cousins, friends… keep fighting for every second we make them waste here another hundred innocents escape the city, For the Emperor and the Imperium!"

The fire seemed to intensify, and another line of Orks fell under their withering barrage. Then a series of flaming explosions blossomed through the horde, more powerful than any artillery weapon they had.

"What in the name of the Emperor was that!"

Victor looked up, just in time to hear a shrieking noise as a fighter flew overhead, disgorging a few torpedoes into the horde, killing several dozen in a bright explosion of scarlet flame. He looked up to his right in time to see a v formation of ships, five of them, looking to him like a group of wings fly over the horde, and in a second he let his voice take over. "Take cover!"

The five bombers released their payload of bombs, orbs of ionised blue energy which fell with gravity and slammed into the Ork horde, the following series of explosions were monumental. Hundreds of Orks vanished in plumes of flame and flailing limbs. Other fighters, their wings taking on a surreal X shape roared overhead, strafing the advancing Orks with laser fire and missiles. Others still dived, strafing and bombing the Ork horde in a mass of fire and debris.

They weren't of any design he had ever seen. The colonel wasn't even sure if there were humans piloting those craft, but he was happy they were there, for every attack run they made they lessened the approaching horde by a hundred. For the first time since they had arrived the Orks seemed to falter under the bombardment of bombs and lasers.

"Do not fear them brothers, for it seems the Emperor has granted us a reprieve!" he shouted to the mass of stunned men and women, and aiming down the sight of his bolt pistol began discharging shots. "Let's send these monsters back to the warp where they belong!"

Then he watched as the unknown fighters disengaged and began to scatter in all directions. They had thinned the numbers of the Orks, but the defenders were still outnumbered by a good seven to one at least. Then the beams of crimson lashed out from the upper atmosphere, leaving gaping holes in the light cloud cover.

The vertical pillars of red light slammed into the flat land the Orks were traversing with the same firepower as a miniature thermal nuclear device, destroying a good city blocks worth of space within the blink of an eye. More beams broke through the clouds, blanketing the flatlands with a fierce, merciless torrent of flame and destruction.

The bombardment lasted for ten seconds, but in those ten seconds the colonel felt the ground violently shudder beneath his feet, he could smell the intense burnt ozone and even though he was safely protected in a trench he could feel the heat almost bubbling his skin.

Then it stopped.

Over the ringing of his ears Strum could hear nothing, and as the ringing slowly dissipated he realised the ominous silence was real. There were no more explosions or distant booming of artillery, there were no clacks of weapons fire or the hisses and snaps of near misses.

He looked over the trench ridge, ignoring the gasps and whispered words of the PDF troopers around him, and surveyed the once flat terrain the Orks were traversing barely a few moments ago. The once flat lowlands were now covered in pockmarks and craters, billowing black smoke rising to the sky, fire raged across the landscape like the Emperor's very wrath had descended upon the xeno army.

"Colonel," a Lieutenant came up to him, back hunched so as not to draw any attention from any surviving Orkoid with a large gun. The young man looked as surprised by the sudden reprieve as anyone else did. He was just the first to snap out of it. "What are your orders, sir!"

Strum looked at the man who spoke, and took a moment to get his thoughts back into military order. "Gather a wave of troopers, and prepare to cross that field. Hunt down and eliminate any survivors."

The young man nodded, offered a sharp salute and spun on his heel. "B Company, fix bayonets!"

* * *

"Long range scanners show that the _Vigilances _orbital bombardment was precise and on the mark, estimated ninety six percent of attacking army has been annihilated." Joseph nodded his head, turning back to his Captain. "Give Captain Rosso my regards. What news on casualties?"

"No serious casualties reported by attacking wings Admiral." Flore answered, looking through the call register as the returning pilots sounded off. "Vanguard-9 reports receiving a mild hit from Orkoid flak, has pressurised his cockpit and requesting emergency permission to land."

"Permission granted, get all our boys and girls back home." Joseph replied, before breathing a sigh of relief. It appeared that his attack wing had achieved complete surprise upon the targets, and when a squadron of K-wings achieved tactical surprise they were capable of destroying whole columns of infantry and armour in a single pass. That's how deadly the successor to the Y-wing was. "Recall all fighters and bombers; prepare fleet to jump out of the system."

"Yes Admiral."

The Admiral then turned to his visitor, or was it outside observer? Farseer Macha was by the great viewscreens of his command deck, looking down at the planet below. He came up beside her, clasping his hands behind his back. "An impressive show of force Admiral, destroying an Ork Waagh from orbit is a brave feat."

"We simply had tactical surprise and the advantages of flat land, clear skies and no friendly units nearby," Joseph replied. "And we also had the advantage of a fully equipped _Imperial _Star Destroyer with a veteran Captain and crew. It would have been unwise in any other situation."

"I am guessing precision orbital bombardment is a specialty of one of your _Imperial-class _Star Destroyers." Macha surmised, golden orbs flickering over to look at the middle aged Mon'Keigh.

"An _Imperial _is what we call a jack of all trades, Farseer." Halos replied, "It can be used for a number of roles including orbital bombardment, starfighter carrier, command ship, capital ship combat among other things. It is this versatility that still makes her the mainstay in any galactic fleet; even fifty years after the first one left the shipyards."

Macha nodded, before looking out the viewscreen, watching with a new intensity as the _Vigilance _passed across their view, rejoining the fleet. "Now Farseer, we have lived up to our half of the bargain, we expect you to live up to yours."

She nodded, "Of course, the star charts have already been downloaded into your ships main systems, as well as the latest information on the galaxy's factions, military capability and borders. You may check it for viruses if you wish, and I would recommend scouting the routes first before using them. These star charts are many thousands of years old, and some of the routes may be obsolete."

"It has been a pleasure doing business with you milady," Halos bowed lightly. "But there is one last favour I would like to ask of you."

"Oh?"

"I would like you to send the word out to your people to keep an eye open for two _Imperial _star destroyers, answering to the _Bulwark _and the _Independence. _When we were forced here we lost contact with them, and haven't been able to locate them even with our best efforts." Halos looked her in the eye. "It is not a large favour I am asking for, only that you keep an eye open."

Macha nodded, "I will send the word out to all allied Craftworlds."

"Thank you, honoured Farseer."

"Now I must ask you for a favour."

"And that is?"

"My vessel is deep within unfriendly territory, and although I am confident we can make it out I would be more at ease if our Destroyer was placed under your fleet's protection." Macha looked the Admiral in the eye, "Until we clear Imperial space."

Halos seemed to think on it for a moment, "No tricks, while on this ship you and your guards will adhere to our regulations and guidelines. You will be placed under observation, and are restricted to visitor's access. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly, Admiral,"

Halos nodded, "Then the _Song of Isha _and all those aboard are hereby under our protection. Welcome to the fleet, honoured Farseer."

Neither the Admiral nor the Farseer were aware of a pair of chocolate orbs, looking down upon them from within the airducts.


	5. Unwanted Attention

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Unwanted Attention**_

_**Author's Note 1: **_Star Wars and Warhammer are the properties of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively.

_**Author's Note 2: **_I must have reread this one a few dozen times, taking out paragraphs and putting in new ones. There's a small plot twist in this chapter which will throw a few people for a loop, but everything will be explained in the next chapter. It was something I should have put in at the beginning, but didn't.

_**Author's Note 3: **_Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, warms my heart to see people still interested in this concept. I got a PM from Skipper 1337, sorry I didn't reply but your reply box is off or something. It was about Halos quote when he was talking to Macha about the Star Destroyers being considered old after only fifty years. It was something the Admiral wouldn't have known he let slip, considering technological advancement of his home galaxy and how little he knows of this one. This will be elaborated upon in later chapters.

* * *

It was a full week later before an Imperial taskforce arrived to help in the continued conflict on Anglo, and by then the remnants of the PDF had fought the greatly weakened Ork invaders away from their main population centres. Nearly five hundred craft of all shapes and sizes descended upon the planet, ranging in size from small six hundred meter long Frigates to massive Grand Cruisers measuring an impressive ten kilometres in length.

Colonel Victor Strum looked up at the sky, able to see the imposing armoured hulls of the larger ships. They were impressive, from their shield shaped prows, to their long rugged forms, bristling with weapon batteries ranging from rail guns and laser cannons to massive lance batteries capable of bringing untold destruction upon an unsuspecting world. They were ships of war and by the Emperor what a terrifying sight they were.

The first sign of an approaching vessel was a silent hum, the hum of a small cluster of engines. Then it came from the clouds, followed by the smaller forms of two Thunderbolt fighter craft. The Gunship was of the _Valkyrie-class_, recognisable by its large cockpit, two large engines, a square shaped rear tail and wings curved downward. Its Hellstrike missile pods protruded from the ventral sections of the wings, and a Multi-laser located beside the cockpit.

He looked back upon his assembled Honour Guard of a hundred men at arms, standing to attention in their dress uniforms, lasguns leaning against their shoulders as they stood in a column twenty across and five back. They were situated in the courtyard of the planets former Governor, the landing pad standing out as a platform of dull steel with wide steps leading up to the flat surface.

"Stand too you fools," he growled as he marched by the assembled PDF Troopers, two Lieutenants flanking his sides as he walked towards the landing pad. "You will be in the presence of a General, look sharp!"

The dim hum of the _Valkyrie _Gunships engines slowly intensified to a full roar as it approached, slowing to a hover as it came within fifty meters of the landing pad. It swerved into position, landing struts descending as it made contact with the metal deck of the pad. Strum wasted no time, ascending the steps with his two lieutenants in tow. He just reached the top as the landing ramp of the Gunship descended and the entourage within stirred.

The colonel stopped as he watched them exit the small transport. The first thing he was aware of was a thunderous thud of ceramic boots. He felt the steel structure shake with every step, and then they became visible to him.

Giants among men, standing well over six foot in height, garbed in thick ceramic armour of pitch black, chapter symbols and insignias etched into their shoulder plates, one with the U shape of the revered Ultramarines, the other with the blood drop and spread wings of a Blood Angel. He looked into their helms, seeing the piercing, glowing crimson eyes of their visors. He saw the large bulky forms of Bolters, held idly against their chests.

He had heard of these men of course, these Space Marines, chosen warriors of the holy Emperor of Mankind, created in his image to do battle against the multiple enemies of the vast Imperium of Man. He had also heard of the Deathwatch, although only in passing. Marines recruited from their Chapters to serve the Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos branch of the Imperial Inquisition.

The two Space Marines stepped aside, allowing the one they were guarding to walk from the relative safety of the Gunship. He could not tell the persons gender for the long black cloak he or she wore, covering the persons features in an almost unnatural shroud. But as the Inquisitor descended its robes parted slightly, showing him armour as black as the robes, a bolt pistol holstered and a well crafted Power-Sword sheathed.

Only when he stood before Victor and raised his head did he see the man under the hood. He was old, very old, skin was a pale ashen white covered in a mass of wrinkles, and a pair of deep orbs of vibrant blue which sent a chill up his spine. He spoke, voice raspy and croaking from old age. "Report Colonel."

He shook himself from his surprise, and bowed his head low, his officers doing the same. "We were able to repel the Orkoid menace milord. We lost many men and women in the struggle, but we were able to stop their advance."

"Intriguing," the old man said, a thin hand, covered in liver marks reached up to rub his chin. He had lowered his head slightly, eyes once again concealed. "For the communiqué we gained said that you were under attack by innumerable Orks. You had lost control of several key cities, your governor and government were dead, civilian casualties in the hundreds of thousands… did I get that right?"

"You did, my lord." Strum replied, feeling lightheaded, head starting to pound.

"You are not telling me everything colonel, please explain."

The pounding in his head intensified to the point where his ears began to ring, almost doubling over in pain. "Yes," he managed, feeling a sheen of sweat trickle down his face, "Of course my lord… my apologies."

"Apology accepted, colonel." The pounding ceased, and the colonel swayed before slowly regaining his stability. "Now explain."

"We gained some… last minute assistance… my lord." Strum was just able to stutter.

"From who?"

"Of that I do not know," Strum replied, finally regaining his composure. "First was a wave of assault fighters and bombers of unknown type and origin. They harried the approaching Ork horde with laser cannon and powerful weapons. Then there was a blanket of crimson, an orbital bombardment of some kind that was more precise than anything I had ever seen."

"I see," the Inquisitor replied, stepping past the Colonel and walking down the steel steps, both Space Marines moving to flank him. Strum and his two officers hurried after, managing to keep pace with the old man who besides his apparent advanced age was very agile. "Do you have any clue as to who these benefactors were?"

"Several of my men were able to record the ships as they made their attack run, although it is sketchy and blurred." Strum replied, fishing out a small disc from one of his dress uniforms pouches and presenting it before the Inquisitor. "We were also able to get footage from an old observation satellite. It was orbiting close to the point where the unknown fleet appeared before it was destroyed by one of their fighters."

"From the edge of the system?" the Inquisitor asked. The warp engines used by the Imperial Navy were effective but very unstable and wrought with dangers. A Battlefleet of warships had to exit the warp at the edge of a star system, and make the rest of the way to their destination on sublight, which could take a couple of hours if there were no obstacles. If they went in any further there would be a chance the vessels would be caught in the planets gravity wells.

"No my lord, the satellite was in high orbit around the planet," Strum explained, seeing the Inquisitor stop in his tracks and slowly turn to face him. "They jumped right outside of our worlds gravity well and launched their attack."

"Right on top of you,"

"Yes, my lord."

"That is advanced technology Colonel." the Inquisitor said thoughtfully. "The only ones in my experience capable of such precision are the Eldar."

"They weren't Eldar vessels my lord, or anything I've ever seen before."

"How would you know that?"

"I am a veteran of the Imperial Guard, served five tours for the 85th Anglo Grenadiers Regiment." Victor replied. "I fought the Eldar, and I know their ships."

"Do you have the recording?"

Strum nodded, pulling out another disc and handing it over to the Inquisitor. "We are still in need of assistance if we are to completely subdue the green skins my lord."

"A full fifteen Regiments of Imperial Guard have already been assigned to aide you, colonel."

* * *

"Right, so if the Farseer's information is accurate we should be right here." Halos pointed to a small section of space in the middle of the hologram, showing a three dimensional view of the galaxy according to Eldar star charts, "right in the middle of the Imperial western quadrant, the Ultima Segmentum."

Sor'ai nodded her head, typing information down on a handheld datapad. "Yes Admiral, and if the information is indeed accurate we should be able to map out several hyperspace lanes through the galaxy… according to Professor Lissana and her people it should look something like this."

She pressed a few more runes, sending the information from her datapad to the holotable. Several winding trails appeared along the galactic map, leading from the heart of the galaxy out to the farthest of the outer rim. The Admiral studied the calculated routes thoughtfully, keeping a close eye on how they winded through several borders.

"This is not accurate by any means Admiral," the Chief Scientist said as she too studied the new lanes. Nora Lissana had, in Halos mind, revived his trust in her. For the entire week she and her teams had thoroughly studied the information handed to them, and made uncountable calculations and simulations. "We will still need to use probe droids and scouting squadrons to make sure these passages are secure, then there's the matter of further exploration."

"We also need to address our supply issue." Card said. "According to our calculations each ship has enough supplies of food and water to last for approximately a year, after that we will need to find means to resupply."

"What about ammunition, fuel, repairs?"

"Most of our weapon systems are energy based; lasers and ion cannons can recharge themselves… as for blaster packs and grenades I am confident we will have the means to manufacture more. Fuel is another matter, we have enough reserves for a year considering how long the experiment was meant to last, but unless we can find a gas giant rich in Tibanna gas we will be in trouble."

"We will need to reprogram several hundred probe droids to search out gas giants and asteroid fields for Tibanna and materials… once we find that then we won't have much of a problem in that regard."

"There is still the problem of finding a supply chain which can sustain several hundred thousand people." Sor'ai muttered, deep in thought.

"And Tibanna gas is a rare commodity in our own galaxy, it may take longer than our stores can last to find a stable supply here." Gabriel added, himself thinking. "Then there's the stealth problem, if we're able to successfully scout out hostile territory we will need more than just my Stealth-X."

"He's right," Nora said as she scanned a scroll of information from her datapad. "We may need to take a couple of fighter squadrons and reconfigure them for stealth purposes."

Joseph nodded, "Make it so. In the meantime we're going to have to get out of Imperial territory, head west through the most well scouted hyperspace route. Once we're safely away then we'll begin looking for a suitable system to set up a supply base."

"And what about our visitor," Sor'ai asked.

"For now she's free to roam the ship, but she and her guards will be monitored at all times." Joseph replied, turning to Sabbath. "I don't suppose I could ask you to be the liaison for them can I?"

"You mean babysitter." Gabriel replied with a wry smile.

"From what I can tell she is a powerful psychic, and I want our own trump card nearby in case she's planning something." He looked the Jedi in the eyes, "If she does become hostile could you defeat her?"

"In a straight up fight," Gabriel answered with a shake of his head.

Halos sighed heavily, "I was afraid of that."

* * *

Gabriel walked down the hallway, winding his way through the small throng of engineers, soldiers, pilots and techs as he moved towards his charges quarters. Morale among the several hundred thousand people was slowly dipping as the truth of their situation began to settle in. The Admiral had made the announcement a couple of days ago.

The fact that they were all in a completely different galaxy, with no real way to return home other than an unstable wormhole drive was disconcerting to everyone. He felt the feelings of despair, helplessness and fear in the force. The crews of the fleet were all scared, and he didn't blame them. Many people had families, fiancés and friends that they wanted to return too, people who they loved and may never see again.

He found himself thinking of his sister in that moment. The two of them had shared a link ever since they were children surviving in the undercity. They knew when one was sad, happy, lonely or scared. He could still feel her; though feint, through the force. He felt her worry. Obviously news of their disappearance had reached the public. How he wanted to reach out to his twin, tell her he was safe.

He stopped, feeling a sudden flicker within the force. It was subtle and quick, and was gone as fast as it arrived, but for a quick fleeting moment he could swear the presence he felt was his sisters. He shook his head such worries could be set aside for another time, but until then he had a duty to fulfil. The people of the fleet needed to see their commanding officers strong and confident, even he who had no rank needed to play his part.

One major concern was the force, here it felt completely alien too him. That was not a surprise. He had considered that the force would feel different this far away. Here the force seemed more acute, sharper. His senses seemed more finely tuned, and he could feel things here that he would have to concentrate on back home. He considered his skirmish with the Eldar pilots. He was a good pilot in his own right, yet when he gave himself over to the force he did manoeuvres and stunts he would not have been able to do.

He sensed attacks and movements at least thrice as fast as he usually would. It was like the force here was more pure, more untouched. But what did that mean? Did it mean that there were no Orders here who used the force, or if there were they were too few in number to make a full impact?

He had no idea that while he was having this internal struggle he had reached his destination. Placing his worries to the back of his mind he moved forward.

He was right in the middle of the crew quarters, in the section set aside for visiting dignitaries and visitors. At least a full platoon of Alliance Troopers stood at attention, positioned at every entrance to and from the section. He walked through without trouble, and made his way to their guest's quarters.

Two Eldar Guardians, armour immaculate, stood at attention on either side of the door, they themselves guarded by two Alliance Troopers. Gabriel walked up, nodding to the Troopers as they saluted, then looked at the two Guardians. They made no movement, like stone statues, as he opened the transparisteel doors and entered.

The quarters were particularly better furnished than that of those of the crew and senior officers. The floor was covered in a carpet of royal red, a grand viewport stood out at the far end of the main chamber, showing the stars beyond. Against the bulkheads were well furnished cupboards and cabinets, a couch and two chairs stood out in the centre, surrounding an extravagant glass table.

Sitting on one of the chairs was the Farseer, now without her armour and weapons. Now she wore a simple robe of dull green with white trim, her crimson hair untied and allowed to flow down her slender back, almost touching her waist. A cup of Caff was on her lap, slender hands holding the warming drink. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the starlight; golden eyes seemed unnaturally bright in the low light.

"Ah, so you have at last decided to visit me, Master Sabbath." She said, voice a musical melody of sensual tones now that she had removed her helm. "I have been looking forward to meeting you for some time."

"If you wanted to meet me you could have just asked." Gabriel replied as he walked into the room, silently motioning to the seat across from her, at her nod he sat and began to absently study this enigmatic creature.

"Meetings will happen in their own time, Jedi Master." She replied, taking a sip of her drink.

"Too true," Gabriel replied, leaning forward. "So what would you like to discuss."

Aldrich Macha sat back in her seat, relaxed yet still looking capable of defending herself. "I am interested in you Master Sabbath. If I'm not mistaken it was you who piloted that Stealth vessel when our two races first met?"

"It was."

"You performed impressively against two of my pilots. Capable of matching them despite their fighters technological superiority over your own, and even managed to disable one without firing a shot." She leaned forward, locking eyes with him. "What's more my pilots guessed you were what we call a Psyker, yet you do not exhibit the unstableness and explosive feel of one. Now that I am before you I do feel a strange power, subtle but there. You are calm; in control… tell me Gabriel Sabbath, what are you?"

Gabriel hesitated for a moment, "An exchange of information Farseer, I'll tell you what I am if you tell me what you are."

She nodded, "Very well, you first."

"I am a member of an order of force sensitive beings known as Jedi Knights. We're basically an order of warrior monks who have taken the role of peacekeepers and mediators since the founding of the first Galactic Republic some twenty five thousand years ago." Gabriel explained, deciding to just give her a brief gist of his organisation. "Now it's your turn."

She nodded her head, "Very well. To the Eldar people Farseers are some of the oldest and most powerful psychics of their generation. We are the leaders of our people, directing and protecting them through our powers of divination."

"Divination, you mean the ability to see the future." Gabriel said thoughtfully, "The future is a most difficult thing to divine for it is forever changing until that moment. Not even the most powerful and wise of Jedi Masters can do something like that… is that why you lured that Ork army to that world, because you divined that they would be able to defeat them?"

"As you say the future is a most difficult thing to divine." Macha allowed, "And there are times when even our sight is not enough. What you need to understand Jedi is that you and your kin will make contact with other races, you will hear stories that will make your skin crawl and question the very thing you believe in."

Gabriel said nothing. He simply leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him as he continued to listen. Macha considered him for a moment, before letting out a musical laugh. "A human who listens, I have indeed seen everything."

"You will be surprised by our open mindedness Farseer," Gabriel replied simply.

"Hmm, perhaps, but then again you're not completely human are you?"

He looked at her for a moment, as if sizing her up. "And why would you think that?"

"Call it my powers of divination if you wish, but there are signs."

"Such as?"

"Your ears," she answered. "Human ears are rounded, but yours although the same size as a humans are more pointed. Almost like ours."

"Most people wouldn't notice that unless they took a good look."

"I'm not most people."

Gabriel stared her down, before sighing. "I was an orphan most of my life, but when I was old enough curiosity got the better of me and I started looking for my parents. I scoured the databases of several worlds and planets, and found them. Both died when I was roughly two. My father was a human, a smuggler from Corellia, but my mother was a Jedi Knight, a Sephi Jedi Knight."

"And what is a Sephi?"

"Sephi are humanoids indigenous to the planet Thustra, they are one of the eldest known races to take to the space ways, and are also one of the most long lived, with members of the species known for a natural lifespan of nearly four hundred years, some have been known to last much longer. Physically they are similar to you and your people." He leaned back in his chair, studying her. "I am half human, half Sephi."

"So that is why you are so open-minded?"

Gabriel chuckled, leaning forward. "Humans from home are just as open-minded as any other race in the galaxy, honoured Faseer."

"I am beginning to believe that," Macha replied, taking a sip of her drink. "I also have a question about your order."

"And that would be?"

"Are you an order of Psykers?"

"You mean am I psychic. I am but not in the way you know." Gabriel replied.

"Hmm, humans can be cryptic too, most intriguing." The Farseer's golden eyes were dancing with mirth, and an abundance of healthy curiosity. "I have already surmised that whatever you use it isn't the warp, so tell me Master Jedi what do you use?"

"We call it the force."

"Oh, and what is this _force_?"

Gabriel leaned back in his chair. "According to our most ancient teachings The Force is an energy field that surrounds all life. It surrounds us, penetrates us and binds us together. We know very little about it and there are a number of philosophies and aspects. All we know is that it is within all living creatures, from animals to plants."

"Hmm, an interesting observation," Macha pondered out loud, eyes studying Gabriel as she spoke. "It sounds like this Force is the power of the living body, power of life and emotion."

"You are quite observant."

"I'll take that as a compliment." The Eldar replied with a slight nod.

"Now I have a question for you, Farseer. What is the warp?"

"It is only fair that I answer." The Farseer replied, before taking a deep breath. "The warp is a psychic dimension parallel to real-space. It is known by many names and We Psykers have gained the ability to harness its power through using our very souls to harness and channel it. However that is a dangerous endeavour."

"Why is that?"

"Because the warp is a dangerous place, it was not always as such, but thanks to many hundreds of millennia of misuse it has become a festering ground for what we call Chaos. Any soul not prepared for the trials and dangers will perish, or worse become a host for a demonic entity."

"Sounds like a truly dangerous way to harness power," Gabriel allowed.

"It is, and thanks to the reckless actions of the races of this galaxy the warp is more dangerous now than ever before. What is worse thanks to these actions the warp and real-space are parallel to each other, and its energy has been harnessed for purposes such as faster-than-light travel and navigation. There are things in that dimension that never sleep, never rest, monsters that are beyond your worst nightmares and fears."

Gabriel frowned, sure he had known of the dangers of using the force, a force-sensitive being that loses all restraint could walk down a dark path and fall to his own greed, lust and wish for power. But an entire alternate dimension, full of demonic entities and monsters sounded just a little much to believe. "This is all difficult to take in."

"Perhaps, but you must listen Knight of the Jedi, and listen well." She in turn leaned forward, golden orbs studying him with an almost unnatural intensity. "There are evils in this galaxy which will let your fearless Admiral know the true meaning of fear. There are great war-hosts out there in the void whose only goal is the complete and total annihilation of all foes, entire races that not only accept war as a common occurrence, but thrive on it and crave it. There are malicious gods pulling the strings of billions and other, more insidious entities hiding in the shadows. This is a galaxy where peace is nonexistent, and war is an ever flowing constant."

Gabriel's eyes were just visible over his stapled hands, twin orbs of piercing chocolate brown as he took in every word this ancient creature uttered. Macha's eyes were just as unflinching, and even though she still had doubts she felt a type of kindred spirit with this human, this Mon'Keigh. "You say where you are from your Order are protectors of peace, defenders of the helpless. Here Jedi, peace is a lie, so you will have to shred that ideal and serve your other mandate, to defend. Defend your fellows against what you will face. In the void you will see things which will question your beliefs right down to the core, and you may find that you have to kill a piece of what you are in order to survive."

The tension could be cut with a knife as these two soldiers faced each other. "What evils will we face, the Orks?"

She laughed lightly, a beautiful sound. "Orks? Little Jedi there are other things out there that are beyond your worst nightmares, your worst fears. The Orks, as terrible as they are, are only the tip of the iceberg. Your people will never be fully prepared for the horrors of this realm until you face it, until then you are simply children without the guidance of a parent."

"We have fought unwinnable wars before milady." Gabriel replied with a smile devoid of mirth.

"Not like this, you haven't." was her simple reply, and the Jedi Master felt the chill crawl mercilessly up his spin by the deadness in her voice.

* * *

The picture was scratchy and slightly blurred, but it showed the objects clearly enough. It looked like a flotilla of warships, between eight and twelve smaller vessels, about the sizes of Heavy Frigates or Destroyers, and one mammoth vessel at least a couple of kilometres longer than their largest Battleships.

He watched as the two Ensigns continued to work on the image, clearing the static and making minute adjustments to lessen the blurring. The Inquisitor wasn't surprised by the poor quality of the image. The satellite was nearly five hundred years old after all. From what he could tell all vessels followed a similar design trait, shaped like wedges or swords perhaps.

"My apologies milord," one of the Ensigns stated with a frown. "That's as good as we're going to get."

The old man nodded, leaning against his staff, emblazoned with black runes of High Gothic. "Quite alright; now we know they arrived in system, launched a devastating attack and then just left."

"Yes sir,"

"Has the _Storm of Endurance _scanned the planet's high orbit?" he asked to the officer stationed on the Vospex.

"Yes milord, they have finished a full sweep."

"Any sign of a warp tear?"

"No milord, the auspex was able to detect residual ion energy, but nothing even close to associating with the warp."

"Ion energy, you say?"

"Yes milord."

"Hmm, fascinating." The old man seemed deep in thought for a moment, "So we can assume that these ships do not use any recognised form of faster-than-light travel."

"Yes, milord,"

"Can we follow them?"

"I am afraid not milord, the residual energy has dissipated to the point where pursuit would be impossible, even if we arrived a few hours after their departure I'm not sure we could follow."

The old man frowned, "So an unknown fleet of warships jumps over a battle torn planet, launches a devastating aerial and orbital attack before just jumping out of the system again. There are far too many more questions than answers."

The old man turned, walked halfway up the dull walkway and stopped, looking down at the cavernous bridge of the Inquisition Blackship. The bridge was located on a command tower on the vessels dorsal section, near the great engine nacelles of the Strike Cruiser, a cavernous chamber nearly three stories from ground to ceiling and sporting three levels. "Contact Lord Admiral Halcyon, tell him I will be commandeering a full half of his fleet in the name of the Inquisition. Send the word to all commands and systems to keep an eye out for this fleet of unknowns. Do we know what direction they jumped?"

"From their trajectory and pitch, I'd say they were heading west, towards the borders milord." The Ensign replied.

"It could take months to get the word out." The Inquisitor turned a wizened eye to the man by his side. He was tall with lean muscles, a bald head and dark orbs. He was Lucius Grant, his Interrogator and Apprentice in the arts of the Inquisition. "And for all we know they could be many lightyears away from here."

"I know that, but it can only help to let the word out all the same," the Inquisitor replied. "Eventually word will reach the furthest reaches, and then we will gain reports and sightings."

"Milord," they turned to the communications officer. "Lord Admiral Halcyon is willing to acquit one _Exorcist_ Grand Cruiser, five _Gothic _Cruisers, two _Lunar _Cruisers, ten _Swords_ and twenty _Cobras._"

"Did he say anything else?" The Ensign seemed to hesitate, and the old man sighed. "Go on, what else did he say?"

"Um… well, he said that if you want anymore then you could… well."

"Shove it up my exhaust pipe?"

Grant began to laugh boisterously, "The man has some balls."

"He is a Lord Admiral," his master pointed out.

"So what, if you really wanted to you could say he has become a puppet of Chaos." His apprentice replied with a twisted smile.

"I prefer to save the accusations for those who truly deserve them, Grant."

"Like that Militant General on Arcadia?"

Now the old man's lips curved up into a twisted smile which usurped even that of his underling, "Perhaps."

"Milord, Admiral Shen of the Grand Cruiser _Light of Salvation _has reported his readiness."

"I suppose the ships we were given will do." The Inquisitor conceded, "Tell the Admiral to prepare a warp jump to the fringe world of Archona."

"Understood milord,"

"So we are on a hunt are we?"

The Inquisitor grinned like an ancient predator, "Oh yes a hunt."

The Inquisition Blackship _Silent Night _broke off from the formations of Imperial warships and headed for open space, followed by the thirty eight capital-ships and escorts assigned to her. She was a true phantom of the space ways, a silent predator with no running lights or radio chatter, just a black void in the starry backdrop, followed by the illuminated vessels of the taskforce.

* * *

A mass of flashes signalled their return to reality. The eleven Star Destroyers and one Super Star Destroyer were wedge shapes of gray and white against the darkness of space. Within the fleet was the small three hundred meter form of the Eldar Destroyer, perfectly defended behind the line of _Imperial_ and _Nebula _Star Destroyers, taking her place beside the _Guardian _as a baby would to a parent.

Halos looked out over the sea of stars, they had released small contingents of probe droids, sent out scouting squadrons of X-wings, A-wings, TIE Interceptors and Defenders to scout out their aligned path, so far they had found no problems, and by their commandeered star charts they were half way to their destination.

"Scouting squadrons report readiness, Admiral."

"Launch them," Halos ordered. "And order the _Repulse, Resolute, Daybreak _and _Defender _to launch their Vipers. We still have a ways to go, and I don't want any mistakes on our part."

"Yes, Admiral."

He watched as the chosen four Star Destroyers disgorged their units of _Viper-series _Probe Droids, and turned back to the residential Jedi Master. "So, what did she say?"

"That we're all going to die horrible, terrible deaths," Gabriel replied wryly. "Nah, she said that there are horrors in this galaxy that we will never understand until we face them head on."

"Charming," Sor'ai murmured.

"Have you told her of the Sith, the Empire, the Yuuzhan Vong?"

"I have, and her reply was that they would fit in quite well here." The Jedi Master shrugged. "Other than that she talked about the weather, the quality of our tea and some basic knowledge of her people which are in the records she gave us."

"So she's not going to give us anything else."

"Not unless we interrogate her, which I would frown upon by the way."

"Yes, and it could cost us the only real ally we may have here." Halos finished, catching onto the Jedi's sense of humour but choosing to ignore it, for now.

Silence reigned for a few moments as the crews waited for a report from one of their scouting squadrons, or from one of the probe droids. Eventually reports came in, much quicker than normal. "Several probes report that a couple of star systems are in the way, but with their information we should be able to navigate through them."

"We need to be careful," Halos muttered as he studied the galactic chart. "We are nearing the Tau/Imperial border, and from what the honoured Farseer has told us there's a full scale war going on there."

"The Damocles Crusade, you mean?" Gabriel asked. "The Imperium invading a smaller non-human power because they were busy usurping the worlds surrounding their domain. I can understand their response, but some of the information disturbs me."

"Completely annihilating several Tau colonies you mean." Halos asked, before looking at the hologram. "Yeah, I don't like it either."

"Back home it would constitute as a war crime." Sor'ai added with a frown.

"We must accept we are in a different galaxy with next to no rules on how to govern war." Halos told her while massaging his temple. The more he read the information given to them by the Eldar the more disgusted and worried he became, to the point where he just stopped reading.

"Coordinates have been received by the fleet."

"Then let's go."

Stars stretched before him as the _Guardian _and her fleet jumped into hyperspace, and the Admiral took his time just standing there, watching the stars as they flew by like never ending lines of white light. It was a beautiful spectacle to witness, but it was also deceptive in its beauty. He had heard stories of travellers so tantalised by the artistry of hyperspace that they donned space suits and left the comforts of their ships to get a closer look, such escapades only ever ended in death. It was suicide to leave a starship while in hyperspace.

* * *

Macha was not one to rush into action, unlike those who took the path of the warrior she, as one who had taken the path of the seer, preferred to take a step back, view the problem, weigh her options and make a calculated decision. As one of a handful of Eldar seers in a Craftworld where the warrior sects rule she prided herself on her precognitive ability, there had been more than one occasion when she had managed to calm the ruling council with her visions and guidance.

So she was more than happy to sit in her chair, a cup of warm herbal tea in her hands, and keep a psychic eye on her guest, or guests. They had been there for some time, in the air ducts of this titanic vessel. She had been wary at first, but found they didn't have any wish to cause her harm, stowaways perhaps.

But the more she surveyed them the more she realised their similarities to the Jedi, Gabriel. She felt the same emotions and calming aura she had come to expect when she talked to him just a few short hours ago. Now she was intrigued. Gabriel was a fascinating subject, for a Mon'Keigh halfling, and she found herself quite fond of the Jedi Master. Quite a rare thing to feel for a human, then again Macha was always considered something of a rogue among her people.

Sighing she decided to bring this little surveying to an end. It was obvious the handful of presences she felt were aware that she was watching them. She cleared her throat delicately, still finding it difficult to speak without using her psychic abilities. She had not spoken in such an arcane way since her last run in with the Space Marine Angelos.

"You can come down if you like." She said, relaxed in her chair. Her two Guardians at the door were as silent and statuesque as they had been since they had taken up their posts, but she felt their confusion, then their tension.

Her observers didn't answer, and with a sigh she raised her hand. The Admiral shouldn't mind if she caused some damage to her room's ventilation system to flush out his stowaways. Her hand became a fist, and she brought it back down to her lap. There was a sound of steel being torn away, like the crushing of a tin can. Then they fell in a heap across the room from her, four of them.

Her Guardians moved with lightning quickness, standing over them, shuriken rifles drawn and pointed at the intruders, waiting for her word. She caste them all with a curious stare, seeing that two were human, a male and a female, another was definitely of the same race as the flagships Captain, also female and another of a race she did not recognise.

There was a flurry of movement, and a fifth figure fell from the now gutted ventilation system, this one a creature who could pass as human, if not for the reddish pink skin and long vibrant dark blue hair. She held a cylindrical object in her hand, there was a snap, followed by a continuous hiss as it flared to life in her hands. Macha admired the beauty of the weapon, an energy sword, its blade flaring sapphire blue as she stood over her fallen comrades in a guard stance.

Macha raised a hand in surrender, the other still holding onto her cup. "Please, put that weapon away."

She didn't seem willing too, so the Farseer improvised. The sword was torn from the young females hands by a powerful psychic grip, flew across the room and landed smoothly in her outstretched hand, all while she was having another sip of her tea. She looked to her two Guardians, weapons still trained on their five guests. _–Stand Down-_

They did so without hesitation, and returned to their places by the door. She looked at each of them in turn as she slowly rose to their feet, before her eyes fell upon the human female of the group. She would be considered quite beautiful by human standards, with long brandy coloured hair, dark chocolate eyes, unblemished skin, and sharp features. After a moment she noticed her ears, half hidden underneath her long hair, they were slightly longer and more pointed. She reminded Macha a great deal of the Jedi, same family, cousin, no, sibling perhaps.

"Might you be related to that Jedi, young one?"

She raised her head, looking into the Farseer's golden orbs with the same lack of fear as the other one, "Yes."

Macha nodded her head, before turning to one of her Guardians, _-Lashem, could you ask one of the humans for the Jedi, tell him it is of great urgency-_

_-At once, milady-_

As her Guard opened the door and motioned for one of the Troopers she stood, eyes studying the small weapon in her hand, she spun it, looked at it from different angles, before levelling her gaze on her five guests. They all wore similar robes with tunics, pants and knee high black boots. Their utility belts were just visible, and she saw similar cylindrical objects clipped to them.

"A fine weapon," she said at last before tossing it to the one she had taken it from. The humanoid caught it in a smooth motion. "Might I ask what it is called?"

It was Gabriel's sibling who spoke, after sharing a nervous glance with her associates, "A lightsabre."

"How fitting," Macha replied, looking to be deep in thought before levelling her piercing gaze upon them again. "It is only good manners to introduce your selves, young ones."

Once again the Jedi, yes they were Jedi, exchanged nervous glances, and it was the reddish humanoid who spoke first, "Dani Blue."

She was followed by the human male, "Jaden Korr."

Then the Twi'lek female introduced herself, "Rachi Sitra."

She was followed by the male of the unknown race, "Hossk Trey'lis."

And finally by the female human herself, who sighed in defeat before giving her name, "Gabrielle Sabbath."

"Ah, so you are related."

"His twin,"

The door hissed as it opened, revealing the robed form of the Jedi Master as he entered the room. He had already begun to speak, only for his voice to get smaller and smaller until it stopped altogether. "You wished to see me… honoured… Far-"

He stood there, staring stupidly at the five Jedi who had seemingly magically appeared in their guests chambers. Jaden, Dani and Hossk found something very interesting at the other end of the room, Rachi looked at him guiltily, 'sorry' on the edge of her tongue and Gabrielle simply smiled weakly at him, raising her hand nervously in a half wave.

He stood there, mouth agape in surprise, before he grit his teeth and muttered a curse, a curse which would have had him branded a heretic on any Mon'Keigh world, "By the Emperor's black bones!"


	6. In the Shadows

_**Chapter 5**_

_**In the Shadows**_

_**Author's Note 1: **_Star Wars and Warhammer are the products of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no money by publishing this story.

_**Author's Note 2: **_This was mainly an explanation chapter to explain the arrival of our recently arrived Jedi. I hope that this explanation is good enough for your standards, if not… well it's too late now lol. A lot of people have been asking me about the pairings of this story, and I will repeat myself… I ain't giving anything away. It'll wreck the story if you all already know what happens.

* * *

"Do I want to know what you were all thinking?" Gabriel stood at one end of the round table, arms folded and features set in a glare as he looked upon the Jedi stowaways, sitting on the other end of the table were the five faces of friends who he thought he may never see again. At the moment he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He knew each and every one of these five people. First was his twin, sitting in the middle of the line. Gabrielle was very similar in appearance to him. Her hair, the same brandy colour as his own was much longer, stretching down to her shoulder blades, eyes of the same chocolate brown, and just as sharp and focused, skin was pale but healthy, and her facial features, unlike his rugged appearance were heart shaped. He knew for a fact that she was the ringleader of this little party, always had been ever since they were little kids running around the academy.

Jaden sat to her left. The man was about two years their senior, the apprentice of Kyle Katarn who preceded them, because of this they had struck up a friendship right away, and by the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong War he was considered family. His hair was a few shades darker than theirs, and his eyes were a steely gray, face was always clean shaved and roundish. He had a quieter, reserved character, and his experience with the dark side of the force made him something of a wizened senior to them. He had a thing for Gabrielle though, and always found himself tagging along on her half planned exploits, yet always able to guide her away from them before she went too far over her head.

To Gabrielle's right was her best friend. Dani Blue was a Zeltron, considered to be one of the most beautiful, sensual and impulsive races in the galaxy. It was this impulsive nature of hers that made her and his sister best friends. When Gabrielle was planning something Dani was usually responsible for half of it. She was a year younger than them, with long feathery dark blue hair reaching down to her well shaped backside, reddish pink skin, completely unblemished and smooth, her eyes were the same shade as her hair and her coy smile was enough to drive most men insane.

He, Jaden and Hossk had gained immunity from her impressive charms.

Hossk sat beside Dani. About the same age as he and his sister, the towering Bothan was handsome by his races standards, tall and leanly muscular. His body covering fur was a lush dark brown, piercing dark eyes looked up at him, and the Jedi Master could have sworn he saw a smirk slowly raise his canine snout, showing rows of omnivorous teeth. Hossk was a healer, always the first too treat the rest when they got in over their head. He was known for his sense of humour and sharp wit, but also for his caring demeanour and strong character. He cared for each of them, and would run through a tide of warriors to save any of them.

Finally, sitting beside Jaden was the eldest and newest member of their little pack. She was also the only Jedi Master in the group, and Gabriel wondered how they dragged her into this mess. He found Rachi Sitra about a year before the war started; back when they were still hunting down former members of Palpatine's darkling elites and the scattered remains of his force sensitive hunting Inquisitorious.

She was a Twi'lek, and a true beauty at that with her flawless purplish skin, dark eyes, gorgeous angular facial features and beautiful figure, accentuated in a fairly skin tight Jedi librarians robe of light brown. Rachi was a warrior and an archaeologist all rolled into one neat package. She was kind, gentle and wizened from fighting for her life since she was a child; ever since he found and released her from that hell the two had shared a strong force bond, almost as strong as his sisters.

"You know what," Gabriel continued after a moment, sitting down in the chair across from them. "I do want to know what you guys were thinking. Do you realise what is happening at the moment? We're in the middle of uncharted territory, literally in the middle of another galaxy we have limited knowledge off with no feasible way to get back."

The door opened with a hiss, and the twins looked up to see a middle aged man in an Admiral's uniform stride into the room, two Troopers flanking his sides. He stopped three steps in, looked at those in attendance and smiled broadly. "I heard the rumours, but felt it was too good to be true."

As one the four Knights and two Masters of the Jedi Order were on their feet, bowing respectfully to the supreme commander of what was now being called the _Lost Fleet_. Joseph waved them off as he came closer, "Please ladies and gentlebeings, do not bow."

Gabriel smiled before moving to stand by the Admirals side, sweeping a hand before him. "Admiral Joseph Halos, I would like to introduce to you Jedi Master Rachi Sitra, and Jedi Knights Dani Blue, Jaden Korr, Hossk Trey'lis and Gabrielle Sabbath."

Joseph stepped to each of them, shaking each of their hands in turn. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you. It will be a relief to the men and women of this fleet to know there will be a small taskforce of Jedi among us, helping us through this difficult time."

Finally he came to Gabrielle, and looked her squarely in the eyes. His intensity seemed to make his twin a little nervous. "You are Gabrielle Sabbath, Gabriel's twin sister?"

"Yes Admiral," she replied, standing tall. "I am."

"Gabriel has spoken of you."

She quirked a delicate eyebrow; "has he now?"

The Admiral nodded with a satisfied smirk as he looked upon Gabriel, who was now looking a little worried, "Said you were completely insane."

She smiled, and that smile meant trouble, "did he now?"

Gabriel visibly swallowed, before muttering a sentence in Huttese. _"I am so dead."

* * *

_

"I am glad you're all here," The Admiral was now sitting on one of the chairs, looked at the small gathering of Jedi who had taken seats around him. "I believe you are all aware of the situation. We are stranded in a far off galaxy that we have very little knowledge off and we don't know if we're going to be able to get back home."

All five nodded their heads, already fully aware of the situation from what they had overheard when they were sneaking around. "Because of these truths morale among the crew is tense and sober. I was explaining to Gabriel about how imperative his position in the fleet will become. To a lot of people the knowledge that a Jedi is among them will put them at ease, but with a unit of six living and fighting with us the men and women will breathe a sigh of relief."

The middle aged Admiral leaned forward, eyes piercing. "Do whatever you are best at doing, help the mechanics on their fighters, the medical staff in the medbay, be a pilot, lead our Troopers into battle if need be."

Gabriel nodded his head and leaned back, mind moving on where the Jedi who were flung into his command would serve the fleet best. Hossk spoke first, surprising the unit. "I will volunteer for MedBay, Admiral. I have had extensive training in the arts of the healer under Master Cilghal herself."

Joseph nodded his head. "Thank you, I will let them now of your arrival."

Gabriel looked to his friend Rachi, and smiled fondly, "My fellow Master here is a jack of all trades. She's a warrior, archaeologist and scientist all rolled into one, so my opinion is to set her up with Nora and her scientists."

Rachi nodded her head, "That would be where I will be at my best, Admiral."

Joseph looked at Gabriel for a moment, almost as if asking if he was sure before giving the elder Jedi Master his full attention. "Very well, we will let the Professor know you are coming."

"The rest of us would probably do their best repairing starfighters and leading soldiers into battle, they are all soldiers at heart." Gabrielle finished, waving at herself, Jaden and Dani.

"Very well," Halos replied with a nod. "I will let my chief engineer know of your impending arrival. However there is one problem which is still bugging me."

"Oh,"

"Why are you here?" Halos asked the question with a frown. "I mean we are grateful for having you, but I find myself wondering."

Gabrielle nodded her head, posture and features suddenly grave as she spoke. "Yes Admiral, we were sent here on an important mission, a mission that I am sad to say we have partially failed in."

"Go on,"

"We believe that the malfunction with the wormhole drive was not an accident."

This caught Halos and Sabbath's full attention, "What do you mean?"

Gabrielle took a deep, calming breath, before beginning her tale. "Exactly a month before the experiment began our operatives uncovered an old Yuuzhan Vong research laboratory. Within we found blueprints for both the _Guardian _and the wormhole generator. We believe he or she stowed aboard this ship using an Ooglith Cloaker to move about unchecked."

Joseph frowned as he digested the information. It would explain a lot of things, and would clear Nora's name considering she was the one who created the invention, but why would the Yuuzhan Vong want to do this to them. They had lost the war, and most of them had been allowed to traverse to Zonama Sekot in peace as per the treaty.

"The ones responsible for this are not the Sekotan Vong, but an extremist branch of their old government, a branch of specialist assassins. We believe the one responsible for this was a slayer." Dani explained with a seriousness which was not like her.

Slayers, now that explained everything. Slayers were elite Yuuzhan Vong Warriors, shaped into weapons near the end of the war. They were created for a dual purpose, to protect the former Supreme Overlord and to hunt down Jedi Knights. Their creation was considered heresy by the elite castes, or so he heard. The Yuuzhan Vong going against the laws of their gods to vanquish an enemy they did not understand. Reports suggested they had all died during the last battle over Coruscant, apparently that was not the case.

"This is most worrying indeed," Halos muttered with a frown. "Not just an assassin but a slayer wondering around the fleet, and we don't even know who he is."

"That is where we come in, Admiral." Gabrielle spoke up. "Yuuzhan Vong may not be a part of the force, but that means very little. They appear to us as voids in the force, black spots to the surrounding life signatures."

"So you say you can feel them, Knight Sabbath."

She smiled, a smile mirrored by all Jedi in the room, even Gabriel. "Yes Admiral, we are more than capable of scorching out your spy."

"Then search," Halos agreed with a nod. "I want a Jedi, guarded by a full squad of Troopers at every major centre on this ship, one on the bridge, engineering, hangers, worm-hole generators and sensor arrays. Assemble our troops and find this saboteur before he can do anymore damage."

Gabriel spoke for the new cadre of Jedi. "We will find this enemy Admiral, and we will end him."

"Only a handful of scientists are allowed anywhere near the wormhole generator, and the machine was guarded around the clock by a small entourage of Troopers. It would be wise to begin our search with these people." Rachi spoke up, sitting back in her seat.

"Including Nora there was roughly sixty scientists assigned to maintain and work on the generator, and there were two platoons of Troopers guarding the machine in six hour intervals, ten per shift. Chances are one of them is our saboteur." He looked Gabriel in the eye. "I don't want to start a panic, Gabriel, which is why I want this saboteur found and put out of action before the whole fleet knows. I will assign you three full squads of SpecOps agents to help in the task, but no more."

Gabriel nodded his head, "Yes Admiral, it will be done."

"Excuse me."

Both men turned to Rachi. The Twi'lek woman cleared her throat before continuing. "You were planning on assigning me to Nora and her scientists anyway. Well why not let me search for the saboteur. I'll be right in the middle of the group, and should have our Slayer found within a day at the most."

"Seeing you there might spook him into doing something rash, Master Sitra." Joseph said with a frown. "Not to mention it will place you in some real danger, like you said the Yuuzhan Vong are all voids to your senses."

"So don't send me in as a Jedi, send me in as a technician who volunteered to help." She explained, "That way I'll just be another face in the crowd. He won't notice me until he's caught."

Joseph looked at Gabriel, "Well?"

Gabriel sighed in defeat, "She's one of the most capable Jedi in the order. If anyone can find and stop this guy it's Rachi."

She visibly brightened at her fellow master's praise, and daintily rose to her feet. "I will not fail."

"Alright then, but I'm sending in a team of SpecForce Marines as backup, also disguised as technicians. If you're in trouble they will act."

SpecForce or Alliance Special Forces were the best of the GFFA's armed forces. The elite division were the descendants to the equally legendary Rebellion SpecForce Troopers. Handpicked from the most capable, talented and experienced of the armed forces they were specially trained in espionage, sabotage, guerrilla fighting, undercover missions and knew how to work almost every weapon and vehicle in the home galaxy.

They were the best.

"It will be reassuring to know they will be with me, Admiral."

* * *

Major Chance Falkirk looked down at the attire he was wearing in disgust, a simple pair of drab gray overalls with several small pockets and pouches for tools, basic technician gear. There was some good news though, every techie was given a black utility belt, and were armed with a basic blaster pistol in case any potentially dangerous visitors invaded their ship.

The pistol, a simple D-97 Holdout was capable of killing a sentient being, but like many others lacked the firepower to penetrate Yuuzhan Vong Vonduun Crab Armour, and Falkirk knew that this infiltrator would be wearing a variant of that deadly shell. It was a good thing his men were allowed to wear Mandalorian CrushGaunts, and another advantage that they looked like simple black gloves.

He shared a look with his fellow SpecForce Marines, Lieutenant Cairo Lobo was a little to his right, also armed with a holdout blaster and a pair of CrushGaunts and Lieutenant Gamasa Kan was walking a few feet behind him, armed with the same weapons. Falkirk knew them both, Lobo was a Human from Tralus, and Kan was a Nagai. All three of them had fought together since midway through the Galactic Civil War, and through the Yuuzhan Vong War, they were all the best.

A couple of meters ahead of them walked the Jedi they were watching over. She suited the overalls quite well, voluptuous form almost clinging to the fabric. The top two buttons of her jumpsuit was undone, showing a nice view of purple flesh and considerable cleavage. Her lekku were wrapped around her neck, a normal trait for Twi'lek techies. She walked with an almost hypnotic swagger that left a few techies following her like lost puppies.

He tried to take his attention off her very appealing anatomy and found that she had stripe like markings on her cheeks and lekku, a lighter shade of purple than her natural skin colour. She wasn't doing it on purpose, so he could forgive her for the display. He could not forgive his own men however.

"Lobo, Kan, stop staring at her rear."

"But it's so _hard_." Kan groaned.

Falkirk sighed. "I know man, but please put your mind on the assignment."

A dejected sigh, "Yes sir."

Confident he got his point across Falkirk looked ahead of him to see the opening to the wormhole generator. He, his men and the Jedi had managed to hide themselves among a throng of twenty volunteer engineers and technicians from across the fleet. Their cover, if this turned out to be a long assignment, was that all four of them had volunteered from the _Repulse. _He doubted it would take that long, but it paid to be careful.

He increased his pace until he was standing beside the Jedi. Chance Falkirk wasn't one of the orders biggest fans, but even he had to admit they could come pretty handy in a fire fight. "So what's the plan _Chief_? Where do you want us?"

Rachi looked over at him with a soft smile. She was a real beauty, he'd give her that. One he wouldn't mind trying to chat up one day. "Just do what you guys do best, I'll keep an eye open for any _bugs _in the system."

He nodded his head, absently fishing inside his breast pocket for his carton of cigarettes, flipping one into his mouth and lighting a match, "Gotcha boss."

They entered the chamber, and the Major unconsciously whistled at its large size, easily five stories high with enough room for a football field or two, the main chamber for the wormhole generator was nothing more than a large spherical chamber, made large enough to house one of the two huge spherical generators used to power the new, unstable form of faster-than-light travel.

The twenty techies and engineers were herded to the centre of the chamber, and Chance looked around to see the already impressive number of men and women working away at the computer consoles and tinkering with relays and service points. He looked up to see a tall, middle aged woman, her skin tone and tattooed facial features telling him she was a Mirialan, the good Professor Nora Lissana. Even though she was just over forty she was still striking to look at.

She gave a cough, more to get their attention than anything. "Thank you all for coming. For those of you who don't know me I am Professor Nora Lissana, Chief Scientist of this project. As of this moment you all work under me and my team. This machine is a prototype for a new faster-than-light travel, but thanks to recent events it is also very unstable and has been ordered shut down until further notice. That is why you are here; to help us with the procedure. My team will brief you on your jobs and show you to your stations."

"Good luck Major," Rachi Sitra's accented, soft voice filtered into his ears as she turned and walked to the nearest scientist with her identification papers.

"You too, my lady." He muttered, before doing the same. This was going to be a long and annoying assignment.

He was right.

Six hours later and Master Sitra had still not found the one responsible for the sabotage. He was beginning to wonder if this wraith saboteur even existed at all. This either meant he didn't exist or he wasn't one of the scientists and current watch. That could mean he was disguised as a Trooper, but that also meant that they had another eighteen hours before they found him, maybe more.

He looked up to the surrounding walkways in time to see the current watch of Alliance Troopers filter out of the chamber, being replaced by the next squad. The Major watched as the new men and women walked to their positions, and then shrugged and got back to his work with the service duct. The new generator was still fairly badly damaged, and there was still dozens of repairs to make before it could be safely shut down, most of it was simple enough; wiring replaced here, a new power generator there.

He felt the Jedi before he saw her. She placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned down so her mouth was right next to his ear, whispering to him so as not to attract any extra attention. "I found him, guard on the right, two across."

His eyes flickered up to the man, fully dressed in Trooper carapace armour, rifle held rigidly to his chest and his head was tipped up proudly. He looked like any other career soldier in the GFFA's armed forces, and that was what worried him all the more. "You're sure."

She nodded her head, "I can't feel him in the force."

"Good enough for me." Falkirk replied, eyes flickering to her face. "Have you sent word to your pals?"

She nodded again, "They should be here in a few minutes. Is anyone up there?"

"Lobo I think, I'll send the word to him."

"Wait," she looked up, eyes wide as the Trooper's head snapped in their direction, and Falkirk knew in his gut that they had been found. "He's on to us."

"Sith me," the Major breathed before turning his earpiece to all frequencies. "Attention Alliance Troopers, this is Major Chance Falkirk of Alliance SpecForce. There's a Yuuzhan Vong infiltrator on the walkway, second in formation from entrance. Take him out, TAKE HIM OUT!"

The _Trooper _had already moved, turning his blaster rifle to the one on his left and releasing a short burst of crimson rounds. The man he aimed for didn't have time to react, and was caught in the hail of blaster fire. Two hit his chest plate. One went right through his head. He fell over the railing to the ground floor below. The Infiltrator spun around, dropping his rifle and producing something else from his gauntlet. It slipped into his hand, before going rigid, showing all in attendance the staff like weapon.

Amphistaff; a living weapon, a serpentine creature at the beck and call of its master, it was capable of going limp to be used as a whip or going rigid to be used as a spear or sword. It was one of the deadliest melee weapons in the known galaxy. In the hands of a warrior it was deadly, but in the hands of a slayer it was worse.

He ran across the walkway, staff flailing; cutting down an Alliance Trooper in a slash of spurting blood and gore, then another, and another. One of the Troopers was able to get a shot off, hitting his supposed comrade in the side and spinning him around. There was a squeal, as if the blaster bolt had hit a living thing, then the ooglith masker fell away like boiling broth, revealing the infiltrating Yuuzhan Vong. His physical appearance was still enough to cause awe, and fear.

The Vonduun crab armour stood out, covering the warrior from head to toe, it had no spikes or protruding parts though. His head was bare for all to see, a grotesque visage of burnt, scarred and tattooed skin, top lip was removed to show yellow carnivorous teeth. Dark eyes full of malice and hatred fell upon the men and women below, causing some to panic and scatter.

Within a few seconds he had killed four of the five Troopers on the walkway, only a single Trooper and a few techs, Lobo among them, were left. The techs were already running for the exit, and he saw his fellow SpecForce member draw his D-97 holdout. The Slayer saw him, and whipped his staff around. The serpentine head collided with his friend's neck, severing cartilage and spine in one vicious strike. Lobo fell to the ground minus a head, which went over the railing.

"No," he growled before drawing his own pistol and firing, Kan did the same. They were joined by the additional four Troopers among the crowd of technicians. Chance was vaguely aware of a handful of objects fall into the Slayers right hand, which he threw at the crowd of panicking techies and Troopers. The Razor-Bugs cut into the crowd, killing three techs and a Trooper, who fell to the ground with one imbedded in his throat.

The Yuuzhan Vong warrior moved with surreal quickness, hopping onto the railing and freefalling into the crowd. He landed in a crouch and broke out in a run, absently using his Amphistaff to cut into a fleeing tech or engineer, basically anyone who got into his way. His target was the Professor, who stood rigidly in place, terrified out of her mind.

He spoke in an angry roar of broken basic, "Die witch!"

There was a blur of movement, and Master Sitra stood between the advancing warrior and the terrified scientist. There was the unmistakable sound of a _snap-hiss _and a blade of sapphire energy intercepted the Amphistaff before it could hit its mark.

She spoke with more bravery than he thought was possible, "You will not pass."

The warrior seemed surprised by her presence, and then he put more weight into his staff, leaned forward and grinned, "Jeedai… _Jeedai_!"

Was that joy he heard in his broken speech? Falkirk didn't know and he didn't care. Kan had already rushed to her aide, holdout blaster drawn and firing crimson bolts of death at the elite warrior. A trio of them bounced harmlessly off the slayers Vonduun armour, but it was enough to move his attention away from the struggling Jedi Master.

Master Sitra took the advantage and pushed forward with her sabre. She forced him back with a series of slashes and stabs in an attempt to keep him off balance. He backpedalled, manic grin still in place as he sidestepped her thrusts. "Yes Jeedai, come, perhaps kill me you shall. Honoured death, yes, honoured!"

He sidestepped another thrust and lashed out with his Amphistaff, the weapon going limp in his clawed hands as he attacked her. Sitra ducked the slash, and stabbed out with her own lightsabre. The blade ricocheted off the slayers Vonduun armour, but it was enough to make him take a step back.

By now Chance had drawn his own pistol and was firing at the warrior, watching with agitation as the bolts struck and deflected off his armour. He silently cursed the poor weapons and wished for his own modified DC-15 Blaster Rifle. It was old, but reliable and he had modified it to be able to punch through these scar-faced bastards armour.

By now the chamber had been cleared out, leaving him, Kan, Sitra, the surviving Troopers and the warrior. The Troopers had begun firing upon him, trying hard not to hit the Jedi. A bolt hit the slayers left leg joint, a weak point of the armour, and the creature flinched, releasing a roar of pain. It was all Sitra needed. She lunged; azure blade flashing as it took off his head in a clean stroke. The body limply fell to the ground.

She leaned over, panting heavily as she shut off her lightsabre and staggered down the steps. Falkirk was by her side in an instant, checking her to make sure of her condition. "Are you alright ma'am?"

She looked up to him with a smile, "Yes Major, I'm just… fine."

He was about to let her go, then he looked down and his eyes widened. There was a patch of crimson on her jumpsuit, slowly spreading across the gray fabric. The slayer had stabbed her in the abdomen with his Amphistaff in the final moments of their duel, and he knew that even now the venom was flowing through her veins. Already her eyes were glassy, and she fell into his arms.

"Like hell your fine," he ground out. "Stupid Jedi, medic, I need a MEDIC!"

He heard the sounds of footfalls as more Troopers herded into the chamber, but he gave it no mind. Slowly he helped her down to a lying position, and looked up in time to see Gabriel brush past him, hands clasping the sides of her head to make her look up at him. "You were careless, silly girl."

"Master Jedi, I'm sorry."

"There's no need for apologies Major, only action." Gabriel replied as he took his fellow Master in his arms and hauled himself to his feet, carrying her from the chamber. "We need to inject her with anti-venom; then get her into a bacta tank. Time is of the essence here."

* * *

Halos looked at the report with a frown, taking a deep breath to try and calm down. Sor'ai had a copy of the same report, as did the holographic projections of the other Captains of the fleet. Rosso gave him a sympathetic smile, "It was the best decision Admiral, even with the casualties. If we alerted the whole fleet then the warrior would have gone to ground."

Tills nodded his head, "And he would have been almost impossible to track down."

"I know that," Joseph replied with a sigh. "But I guess I'm still a Captain at heart. The Slayer killed five Troopers, three techs, two scientists and a SpecForce Lieutenant before he was taken down, not to mention an additional six people were injured in the incident. How is Master Sitra?"

"The anti-venom was successfully applied Admiral," Gabriel reported from his seat. "At the moment she's still in the tank recovering, been bugging me constantly about letting her out though."

"It is indeed good news to know there are more Jedi in the fleet, even with the way they revealed themselves." Shandor stated, his hologram flickering for a few moments. "But I have a feeling you called us here for more than just a report on our infiltrator situation."

Halos nodded, "I am fairly sure that that warrior wasn't working alone, there may be an entire cell still operating in the fleet. So I want you all to double your guard at key areas and keep an eye open for any suspicious activity. I have already taken measures by sending units of SpecForce to each Star Destroyer to carry out searches for anymore infiltrators."

The Captains all nodded, and so the Admiral carried on. "Now on to another matter; you are all aware of our situation, we are far from home with no way to contact Alliance High Command. So I have decided to set up an advisory council which will help in governing the fleet until we can find a way home."

Mynn leaned forward, "Who shall be members of this council?"

"Myself and the Rear-Admiral of the fleet, Master Sabbath, Professor Lissana, and SpecForce Colonel Mathews," Halos answered, eyes sweeping across the men and women in this room. "The council is simply advisory, and while it will have say in the fleet the final decision will still be in my hands. We also need to set up a proper chain of command. Captain Rosso."

"Sir,"

"Congratulations you've just been promoted to Rear-Admiral. If anything should happen to me then command will be rerouted to the _Vigilance_. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Admiral,"

He nodded his head, "Good, dismissed."

One by one the holograms of the assembled Captains vanished. The dim lighting in the room brightened as the meeting ended, leaving only the Admiral, Gabriel, Lissana and Mathews. The Colonel, highest ranking soldier within the fleet's contingent of SpecForce lit a cigarette and took a drag. "Do you really think there are more infiltrators in the fleet?"

He was a large, muscular individual, truly intimidating in his dress uniform, heavy blaster pistol holstered to his utility belt. Samuel Mathews was a true veteran, one of the few who were in SpecForce for the better part of a decade. A long scar ran from his brow, down through his left eye to halfway down his cheek, his brown hair naturally slicked back and his dark eyes were pits of whiskey.

"Undoubtedly," Halos nodded. "But with this incident they will almost certainly go to ground, and with our security doubled it'll be harder to sabotage any key systems."

Gabriel looked to the senior commander, "We can still help in the search."

"No, it's now SpecForces responsibility."

The Colonel nodded, "We'll find them sir, count on it."

"Alright, back to your posts."

The three nodded their heads and filed out of the meeting chamber, Gabriel turned left, heading towards the medical bay where he knew the rest of the Jedi had gathered. "Master Jedi!"

He turned to see Nora walk up to him, a weak smile just curving up her dark lips. "Professor, how are you feeling?"

"I'm alive at least," she replied. "And I was wondering how Master Sitra's condition is."

Gabriel nodded. He had heard details of the incident and knew if Rachi hadn't have intervened when she did the Professor would have been another of the names on the KIA sheet. "She's stable; poison has been removed and looks to make a full recovery with some rest."

"That's good news," she replied. "I would like to thank her for saving my life."

"You could come down with me now," Gabriel invited. "I'm on my way to see her."

"Thank you, Master Jedi."

"It is my pleasure, Professor," the Jedi replied as the two made their way down to medbay. "Oh and just so you know she'll be helping you and your team in the future. She's more of an archaeologist than a scientist, but she learns fast."

She smiled, "We'll be happy to have her aboard."

* * *

In the deepest depths of the Star Dreadnought were the expansive store rooms, capable of carrying enough consumables in food, drink, spare parts, Tibanna gas and ammunition for up to six years. It was dark in these lower levels, the rooms lit with dim glowlamps, casting shadows across the crates. Down here it was usually quiet, with the only signs of life most of the time being the security droids and cameras.

It was in one of these chambers where a meeting was taking place. The security cameras had been tampered with to broadcast the same recording for five minutes, more than enough time. Six figures stood in the small chamber, garbed in uniforms for low ranking Troopers and engineers. They each looked to each other in turn before settling their gaze on their commander.

The woman seemed to be a female human, garbed in the dress uniform of a technician. A cap was worn over a head of auburn hair, pale skin and piercing brown eyes. She nodded, and in unison they raised their hands, pressing something behind their left ears. It was then that the skin seemed to bubble away, melting from their bodies revealing the creatures underneath.

They were all Yuuzhan Vong, seasoned assassins and veteran soldiers by their intricate tattoos and scarring. The five males wore specialised Vonduun Crab armour of blacks and greys, Amphistaffs coiled around their arms like the serpentine creatures they were.

The female of the group lacked the deforming scars of her male underlings, instead wearing a mass of yellow and crimson swirling tattoos. Her hair was as long as her human visage, but instead of it being auburn it was black as night and tied in a long topknot, body far more slender and feminine and skin of a greyish blue, slightly roughened thanks to scarring from battle. She was an assassin, a former member of a well known priest's bodyguard contingent.

They spoke in their own tongue, the tongue of the Yuuzhan Vong. _"So Khalee is dead is he?"_

"_Yes,"_

"_And thanks to his rashness the heretics will be on full alert. They will definitely double security details at all key points." _The tall Czunkal growled, his ripped lips parting to show sharpened teeth.

"_It was never a good idea to bring the slayer with us. Their hatred for the Jeedai makes them unpredictable." _The shorter, but more burly Tzall snarled testily.

"_Quiet, all of you," _their commander said sharply, taking a step into the centre of the circle. _"The truth of the matter is with this disaster we will not be able to continue our sabotage operations, not without being caught by the alliance."_

"_Let them catch us, I itch for a fight."_

"_And we'll take a great many with us when we pass!"_

"_You arrogant fool." _The female snarled. _"It is that exact train of thought that lost us the war."_

"_Then what do you suggest?"_

"_Fade into the shadows, our job is done. We just sit back and watch them burn." _she replied. _"If you wish to die then I'll be happy to oblige you, but while I live you will follow my orders, clear!"_

"_Clear,"_


	7. Haven

_**Chapter 6**_

**_Haven_**

_**Author's Note 1: **_Alright, so this chapter is a little shorter than the ones before, and it's mainly a setup chapter for future story arcs, so after this is out of the way the fun stuff can officially begin. Next chapter will take place with one of the lost Star Destroyers, and its struggle to survive on its own.

_**Author's Note 2: **_Star Wars and Warhammer are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story.

* * *

As far as Imperial worlds went Archona was considered one of the most important planets in the entire Segmentum. Located on the very edge between the outer border of the Segmentum Ultima and unknown space, the planet was considered an urban metropolis, surface covered with a mass of structures making it one of the newest hive worlds in the Imperium. It was also one of the newest worlds in the vast Empire to earn the name Forge world.

The planets human population was just over a hundred billion people. It was one of the major hubs for Imperial army and naval units, being the central military world in a whole sector. Over a hundred Regiments of fully trained Imperial Guard were stationed on the planet, as well as over eight hundred Space Marines from five separate Chapters and a defence force of over five thousand escorts and capital-ships protecting the world alongside line after line of powerful orbital defences.

Governor Alexi Molotov was an overweight, middle aged man with a large girth and an insolent disposition. He was a bureaucrat, a pencil pusher who gained his position thanks to his contacts. He had assassinated, defaced and paid off all of his political opponents. The Inquisitor should know considering he helped the man achieve his aims, better to have a puppet in charge of an important world than a man with a will of his own.

"I will not repeat myself Governor Molotov," the Inquisitor stated. "There is an unknown force skulking across our borders. They and their intentions are unknown, possibly hostile and in the name of the Inquisition I am taking command of this planets Imperial Guard and Naval forces to help in the hunt."

Molotov was openly sweating now, but the two men standing to his side would not relent. Lord Admiral Belarus Aizen was a tall and lean man, easily in his late eighties with a full head of white hair and a well trimmed beard, dressed in the blue uniform of his rank with gold embroidering. Beside this man was an even more imposing individual, Lord General Militant Frances Hood, a middle aged man with a shaved head, his left eye had been taken in battle long ago and was replaced by a robotic replacement, dressed in a dark green uniform with black trim.

"My apologies Inquisitor but full cooperation is just not possible. Our forces are on standby to assist the Damocles Gulf Crusade, and the majority of my fleet is scattered across the sector thanks to a rise in Ork and Tyranid incursions." Aizen stated with patience, although the tick in his left eyebrow showed his agitation. "I can loan you a handful of vessels and put the word out to the surrounding systems, but that's the best I can do."

"The same can be said about my Regiments," Hood added with a frown. "I can loan you ten Regiments of Imperial Guard, but that is all. Like the Admiral said we are on standby by order of the Lords of Terra themselves to assist in the Damocles Crusade, and no little Inquisitor can negate those orders."

"Let's be reasonable gentlemen," Molotov tried to intercept, but was stopped by murderous glares from both battle hardened veterans.

The Inquisitor's teeth clacked together in frustration as he stared down these two commanders. Both were veterans of several conflicts and wars, both were men who had risen from the lowest ranks to become the battle hardened and experienced commanders they were today. They were loyal soldiers to the Imperium, and were known for their good relationship with several important Administratum and Inquisition officials.

"I understand," he relented at last. "How many ships can you loan me Admiral?"

"Because of the seriousness of this news Inquisitor I am willing to grant you one of my _Emperor _Battleships, the_ Unending Retribution, _as well as six Destroyers, twelve Frigates and twenty Corvettes. I will also send word out to all fringe worlds to keep a careful watch for this unknown fleet. Will that suffice?"

"It will… suffice Lord Admiral, thank you."

"I will handpick ten Regiments of Imperial Guard for this endeavour Inquisitor," Hood added. "They will be fully assembled and ready by the end of the day cycle."

"Thank you General."

"For the Emperor," both men said as way of farewell.

"For the Emperor," The Inquisitor bowed his head to both men, and waited for the feed to disconnect before raising his head. The pounding of heavy boots on the deck announced his apprentice's arrival. Grant stood beside his benefactor for a moment before speaking his mind. "That went well."

"Better than we hoped," the Inquisitor nodded before turning to stalk out of the communications chamber, Grant on his heels.

"Are you even sure we are in the right direction," the Interrogator frowned. "It has been a month since the last sighting, and we haven't heard anything of them since."

"They are nearby, somewhere outside of our borders. I can smell them." His superior replied as he stalked through the dimly lit corridors of his Blackship, taking in the smell of fresh incense from the ventilation system. "You gained a communiqué from Terra did you not?"

"Yes, I have and you're not going to like it." He handed a dataslate to his superior and watched as he took it and started to read. His usual stoic façade cracked and a growl emanated from his throat.

"So it appears a Lord Inquisitor is en route, word travels quickly these days." He handed the slate back to his interrogator. "It will take him a good six month to get here, let's find and nullify these unknowns by then."

"Who is it to get you so riled up?" Grant mused.

"Lord Inquisitor Silvermaine is coming all the way from Terra to oversee this operation," the Inquisitor informed. "And knowing him he will be bringing his full cadre along with him, including that annoying little whore of his."

"How did they find out about the fleet, it's only been active for a month?" Grant frowned as he thought. Because of how far away the holy world of Terra was it took a great deal of time for communiqué to reach them. Even urgent messages took at least a couple of months.

"It is the home of the Golden Throne and the God-Emperor of man, nothing escapes his sight." The Inquisitor replied. "Chances are they've known about this for as long as we have, and according to this Silvermaine has been on the move for nearly a month."

"You really don't like him do you?" Grant questioned with a frown.

"A difference in beliefs my boy," the Inquisitor replied. "He and his little band of tramps are Radicals. I am a Puritan. They believe in things that I find preposterous and foolhardy. Silvermaine is a dreamer, and he has passed on his idiotic ideals to his underlings, especially his little pet Inquisitors."

* * *

"According to the maps we're about three light-years out from Imperial borders. We are now in free space." Sor'ai said as she studied the holotable, dark eyes watching the small blip which represented their fleet in the shown sector.

Halos nodded, "Good news Captain, now we need to find a star system with a habitable planet and all the natural resources we need to start up. Tell the next four ships in line to launch their probe droids."

"Already done sir,"

"Sir, I'm getting a communiqué from the _Melody of Isha, _Farseer Macha wishes to speak with you."

He nodded his head, "Put her through."

The Farseer's life sized hologram appeared before him, dressed in vibrant green robes, hair untied and flowing down her back. She looked every bit the ethereal beauty as she offered him a nod. "This is where we part ways Admiral, thank you for escorting us out of Imperial space."

"It was our pleasure, honoured Farseer," Halos replied with a bow. "Thank you for the information. It will be helpful in our travels."

"I'm sure it will, good day to you Admiral."

"Good day to you, Farseer."

"We will also keep an eye out for your missing ships and send them towards you." Macha added, "As for a planet we think there might be one that would suit your needs. The locations and information on a handful of unclaimed systems has just been sent to your internal computers."

"My thanks to you,"

"Until next time, Admiral."

Her image flickered and faded from view, just as the small Destroyer broke off from the fleet and began an ascent to open space. Joseph watched as the ship cleared the fleet, then her entire form seemed to flicker with electric light and a rip appeared in the space before it. He watched in utter disbelief as a tear opened up to reveal a pathway coalesced in electric bluish white light and continued to watch as the eldritch craft vanished into the hole, which closed up as they entered.

"Now that's something we haven't seen before." Sor'ai said in amazement, it wasn't hyperdrive or anything else they had ever seen before.

"Indeed, perhaps we can ask them about it if we ever meet again."

Sor'ai could do nothing more than nod as the Admiral made his way back to the foyer, "Keep me posted on any reports Sor'ai, we need somewhere to refuel, rearm and resupply."

"Yes, Admiral,"

Halos walked into the central foyer, only to be greeted by Gabriel upon his entrance. "I take it our Eldar friends have left us?"

"Indeed they have," Halos replied as he walked towards the sensor console and watched as the operators went about their tasks. "How are your new recruits settling in?"

"Master Sitra seems to have an understanding with the good Professor." Gabriel began. "Hossk has integrated with the medical staff of MedBay with no trouble. Jaden, Gabrielle and Dani have been welcomed into the corps of mechanics and techies well enough. You should have seen the looks on the hanger bay crews faces when they saw the Stealth-X's they brought along."

"Quite ingenious how they hid them in plain sight." The Admiral thought out loud. "But enough of that, for now we have been given additional information on some suitable systems to set up a forward base."

"Our Eldar friends seem to think of everything." Gabriel mused.

"That they do."

"Still going to thoroughly check out the information?"

"Definitely," Halos agreed before turning to Sor'ai and a small number of his officers. "Have you brought up the information?"

"Doing it now sir."

"Let's have a look."

She nodded, activating the holotable and bringing up the information. Half a dozen star systems appeared on their map of the galaxy, all within ten light-years of their present position. The officers began sifting through them, looking through technical data to try and find the star system with the resources they were looking for.

Halos turned to Sor'ai. "Launch a unit of probes to those coordinates. I want these star systems thoroughly checked to see if they really have what we need."

"Yes sir."

* * *

The quarters set aside for the Jedi were located in the upper deck of the officer's quarters, a level located near the spin on the gigantic command ship. A simple collection of six bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and two bathrooms, such quarters were a common sight aboard many a ship of the fleet. In fact Starfighter squadrons, deck crews, officers and soldiers from the same units were usually placed together in such a way.

The dorsal surface of the Star Dreadnought was a small city in and of itself, with a mass of protruding structures from the flagships spine all the way to about two thirds of its impressive length. These structures housed crew quarters for the ships complement of well over two hundred and eighty thousand engineers, technicians, scientists, soldiers, pilots, officers, support crews and ensigns.

Gabriel looked up from his datapad and took in the decent sized living area of their quarters. It was nice to have company. Being stuck in such a chamber all alone could become quite tiresome after a while. He could feel Dani sleeping in the other room, but aside from her the rest of his fellows were at their stations on the ship.

Or at least that was what he thought.

The door opened with a mechanical hiss, allowing his sister entrance to the small selection of rooms. She stepped in, walked across the floor and fell into the chair beside him. Gabrielle was dressed in a simple gray jumpsuit which had the odd patch of oil or engine fluid, as well as a smear across her left cheek. Her long hair tied up in a ponytail thanks to a simple black cord, revealing the pointed ears that were usually hidden by her mane.

"You seem tired sis. Want to use the shower first?" He looked up from his datapad, feeling her grogginess through their link, and something else he couldn't quite place. She nodded her head, but didn't move to stand. Something was obviously bothering her. "What is it?"

She looked him in the eye, and he could see a storm of worry in those dark orbs. "Can we talk?"

He nodded his head, "Sure."

"It's about you."

He frowned at her, setting aside his datapad and giving her his undivided attention. "Gabrielle, what's the matter with you? You haven't been your usual self at all."

Gabrielle seemed like she wanted to flee than speak, but sighed and hung her head. "I had a vision, when you left."

Now her twin was paying attention, while he had a basic ability in precognition his sister was several levels above him in that regard. Her connection to the force was finite enough that she occasionally had visions, and when she had these visions those who were affected had better stand up and listen. "What did you see?"

She laughed nervously, "The worse thing about it was I didn't pay much attention to it at first. It was blurry and incoherent, but when you left it became crystal clear." She looked him in the eyes, and took a shaky breath. "I saw you die."

Gabriel said nothing, just kept eye contact with his twin sister, silently urging her to continue. When she didn't he reached out, and nudged her shoulder, gently, watching as she became lucid again with a start. "Gabrielle, how bad have they gotten?"

"It was even invading my dreams Gabriel. That's how bad it got. It was coming to me at random intervals. I would be walking down a pathway and see you impaled by some kind of chainsaw. I would be in the cafeteria and drop my tray when I saw someone shoot you in the chest. I would just get to sleep before I saw you encompassed with some unnatural lightning. It was getting so bad I was afraid to go to sleep."

He stood up, walked over to her and took her in his arms, cradling his little sister as she continued on. "You weren't originally part of this operation were you?"

"No, I heard it from Dani and went straight to Grand Master Skywalker. I told him about the visions, and he put me on the team." She explained, a hand reaching up to grip his sleeve. "When I got here and we were found the visions stopped. I was so relieved."

She looked down to the ground, and he sighed. "It started again, didn't it?"

"While I was replacing the Galven coils of a laser cannon." She nodded, looking up at him with watery eyes. "I'm scared Gabriel, the scene changes but the end result is always the same."

He pulled back, letting her look up at him. "I'm not going anywhere you hear. It just means that I have to be more careful is all."

She snorted, "You, more careful?"

"Well, more careful than I am now." He shrugged and offered her a teasing smile. She laughed at his statement, wiping the unshed tears from her eyes. "Plus you and the others are here, and we proved it during the war. Together we are far stronger than we are individually. We just do what we've always done, look out for each other."

"Well said Gabriel." Both turned to see Dani leaning against the open doorframe to her room, arms folded under her chest. "I told her as much. Together we are stronger than the sum of our parts."

Gabriel did not look amused. Neither did his twin for that matter. "How long have you been awake?"

She smiled cheekily, "Since Gabrielle entered the room."

He sighed and was about to retort, when the comlink on his belt began to chime. He gave her a pointed look before taking the small device and thumbing it on, "Sabbath here."

It was one of the com officers on the other end. "Master Sabbath. The Admiral asked me to call you; we've found what we need."

* * *

The star system was indeed perfect. The sun was in the prime of its life, and surrounding the star was six planets, one capable of supporting life, two of which were massive gas giants. An asteroid field was positioned between the first gas giant and the habitable world. It was a good eleven light years away from Imperial territory. Joseph looked at the star from his observation deck, before turning to his Captain.

"Well what's the word?"

"The asteroid belt has all of the metals and materiel we'll need." Sor'ai reported, typing down commands on the handheld datapad as the information flooded in. "The planet is an M-class world, no signs of civilisation from our long range sensors, but it has one large continent with forests, grassland, deserts and mountain ranges. The first gas giant has pockets of Tibanna gas in the atmosphere, not much but enough to keep the fleet running for a few years."

"It's better than we hoped."

"Indeed it is, but it's better to be safe." Halos nodded his head. "Tell the fleet to break off into pairs and begin scouting the system for any sign of traffic, starship or otherwise. Once we're sure it's truly deserted then we'll prepare a prefabricated base for deployment, and get the workshops from both the _Defender _and the _Repulse_ to start putting together a couple of Tibanna platforms for the gas giant."

"Yes, sir," Sor'ai replied with a nod, hand typing rapidly across her datapad.

After a day of searching the scattered escorts all reported all clear across the board, no sign of any recent ship traffic or civilisation on any of the planets, nor was there any evidence that anyone had visited the system before. It was the perfect position to set up a supply base. The _Guardian, _guarded by three Star Destroyers fell into high orbit over the planet, sensors thoroughly scanning the surface not only for optimal drop sights but also for any specific threats the long range scanners may have missed.

It was a half day later before the huge bulky form of the Y-85 Titan Dropship left the main hanger bay of the Super Star Destroyer, guarded by a full squadron of X-wing Starfighters and an additional three LAAT Gunships. The Dropship was a huge hulk, created for the simple purpose of transporting large units onto a planet. This included heavy armour like AT-AT and AT-ST walkers as well as the needed parts for a Prefabricated Garrison Base, which it was currently deploying.

They made it through the upper atmosphere and troposphere without issue, and landed on the site with no trouble and no surprises. The site was a valley, protected by sheer cliffs on all sides and an abundance of flat land, with the only real obstacle being the odd rolling hill. Alien grazers scattered in all directions as the dropship settled onto the soil, along with the Trooper compliments on the three LAAT Gunships. The old vessels were older models dating back to the Clone Wars, but their versatility and cheap cost still made them frontline planetary assault Gunships, each capable of fielding thirty battle ready soldiers in one drop.

The Prefabricated Garrison Base was a true marvel in military engineering, a mobile command centre capable of being quickly set up or taken down. It was the Galactic Empire who created it, mainly to keep the peace on rebellious worlds by placing an Imperial presence on the planet quickly. The base would consist of eight levels with a huge spire of a sensor and communications mast in its centre. The first five levels mainly held large vehicle bays, with a hanger for a small aerial defence force located on the eighth. The upper levels held the crew quarters, main armoury, detention cells, communications centre and many other key installations.

The base was large enough to field an impressive defence force, over three thousand personnel could be stationed in a fully operational base, many of whom were non-combatant personnel, however the base supported a military force of fifty walker crews, eight hundred Alliance Troopers, three hundred and fifty security and perimeter support Troopers and forty fighter pilot.

Even with this small army at its disposal a mobile base wasn't defenceless, sporting two heavy twin Turbolaser turrets, six heavy laser cannons and a small number of gravity well projectors. Normal defensive dictate stated that minefields were to be deployed, as well as a mid level shield generator and a perimeter of ten meter tall, highly electrified death fencing.

If a trained and veteran crew of technicians and engineers were involved in its installation then the base would be up and fully operational within two days, so the Admiral was confident they would have it up and running by sundown. He was right.

Next up was the gas giant containing the Tibanna gas pockets. The workshops of the Star Destroyers _Repulse _and _Defender _were already working around the clock, and were confident they would have two Tibanna siphoning platforms up and running by the end of the week. Halos didn't doubt them for a moment.

A cup of smouldering Caf was produced to him, which he took and looked around to see Gabriel, his own drink in hand. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Gabriel replied, taking a long gulp of his drink. "It seems to be going well."

"We'll be ready within the week."

"And what is the plan when we are ready?"

"You heard the scout reports?"

Gabriel nodded his head, before looking at the great expanse of the planet below. "Indeed, this entire sector is fully entrenched in war and slaughter. Human fringe settlements attacked by Ork and Tyranid splinter fleets, Exodite worlds under constant harassment from pirates and slavers. Lightly defended transport and refugee fleets under constant threat of enemy attack. It's all out war out here, and on a wide front."

"That's the gist of it, yes."

Gabriel eyed the Admiral for a moment, before understanding dawned in his dark eyes. "I see, well we're going to be busy then."

"Exactly," Halos nodded in agreement. "We're going to need more than a planet, what with what little resources we have it will take considerable time to get us completely set up. We need to begin making a mark, offer to protect the fleets being harassed, defensive contracts to those worlds under slaver and pirate threat, and offer our hand in aide to those who need it. Through this we will make agreements on trade and let the people here know they are not alone."

"We will gain the attention of the Imperium, as well as other powers." Gabriel pointed out, finishing his drink and crushing the plastic cup in his hand. "Offering us a welcoming hand is doubtful."

"Then we make sure this haven remains a secret. All Captains have orders to delete all mention of it from their databases if captured, none of our proposed clients will know its location and all starships will be required to make a minimum of three precautionary jumps before plotting a course back here." The Admiral looked over at his friend with a smile. "We will make this place our fortress, and from here we will survive."

Gabriel smiled, "Haven, I like the sound of that."

"Then that's what this world will be called my friend, Haven."


	8. Lost in the Void: pt I

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Lost in the Void**_

_**Author's Note 1: **_You may not like it, you may be screaming for me to continue the original story, but this is an essential part to A Long Way from Home. One way or another the story's of the missing Star Destroyers needs to be told before they are found by the fleet, if they'll ever be found at all. That is what this chapter entails. This was originally going to be longer, but I ran out of time if I wanted to upload it tonight, so it's going to be part of a two part special.

_**Author's Note 2: **_On an unrelated note Tau naming is a really annoying thing to do, the whole race is caste oriented, and according to the books and websites I have used it shows in their names, which can be long, complicated and damn hard to do correctly; if anyone can tell me where to find an online explanation of Tau language then I would be eternally grateful.

_**Author's Note 3: **_Star Wars and Warhammer are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story.

* * *

How long have they been out here, searching across the starry expanse for those they had lost? How long? He had lost count, but if he had to guess he would suppose perhaps two, maybe three months, give or take a couple of days. Captain Leonardo Glacius sighed as he heard his officer give the signal for them to jump out of hyperspace, and waited for the sudden pull as his starship returned to reality.

The _Bulwark _was an old girl, an _Imperial II-class _Star Destroyer active from a year before the Battle of Endor to this point in time. She had seen so much during her long thirty odd year tour of duty, a ship of the Empire, captured by the New Republic and converted into an _Interdictor-class _Star Destroyer, complete with the huge bulges of four gravity well projectors across her otherwise sleek hull. She had sacrificed some of her armament for this change, and was no longer designed as a frontline ship of war.

Nowadays a ship like the _Bulwark _would be assigned as an escort, improvised as support for a larger fleet, used in such assignments such as anti-smuggler and pirate operations. Her massive gravity well projectors could force any ship in existence back to reality with an almighty crash. It worked against any ship in the known galaxy, including the Yuuzhan Vong. That was her advantage, picking off disoriented or badly damaged targets forcibly removed from the alternate dimension of Hyperspace. She was an ambush predator, a nocturnal hunter, a surprise attacker.

And she was stuck in the middle of uncharted space, alone with no support and no fleet to protect her, and this was a dangerous place to be lost in. Barely a day ago they had fallen victim to pirates, Dark Eldar they had called themselves, and they had chased after them ever since, witling down their capability to defend themselves. Half their fighters were gone, pilots dead or captured, five point laser cannon systems were out of action and one of their main Turbolaser batteries had taken significant damage, still operable, but only just.

What scared the Captain was that they were able to track his ship, and with the lack of any viable Hyperspace routes they were forced to fly blind in a number of jumps. Their knowledge of the surrounding space was limited, mainly thanks to their compliment of Probe Droids, but they did have a trick up their sleeve, and this trick had worked once already on one of these Dark Eldar picket ships.

"Activate the gravity wells."

"Yes Captain." His second in command replied before relaying the order with a loud shout. "Activate Gravity well projectors, full power!"

He heard an almighty hum that drowned out even the low growl of the powerful sublight engines, a sign that the four colossal gravity well projectors were now online and fully operational, spreading their gravity field across the void around them. No form of faster-than-light travel was immune to this method, his projectors created a gravity field strong enough to match a habitable planet, any ship caught within its range was mercilessly forced back to reality.

"Arm main Turbolaser batteries and laser cannons, prep ion cannons and concussion launchers for full bursts on my mark!"

"Should we scramble fighters, sir?"

"Not unless it's absolutely necessary," Glasius replied. "I'm not losing anymore of my pilots, not if I can help it."

His second nodded. In the last few days of skirmishes the _Bulwarks _fighter contingent had been whittled down from nearly a hundred fighters and bombers to half that number. The enemy's fighter craft were fast, manoeuvrable and packed a surprising amount of firepower for their small size.

"Contact, the net has caught it." An operator all but shouted, and he was right. The pirate vessel, a nightmarishly sleek creation as black as the darkness, covered with blade like protrusions complete with draconian wings was forced back to reality. It hung there, dead in space, its forcible removal causing damage to its systems.

"Main Turbolasers lock on!"

"Locked Captain!"

"Fire all!"

Lances of crimson flame soared from the _Bulwarks _six main Turbolaser batteries in perfect synchrony, lancing across the expanse and colliding with the pirate Cruisers shields, which flared a dark purple in the low light. By the second salvo the shields had shattered, and the third punctured the vessels hull. Three lances of destructive Turbolaser fire ricocheted off the small picket, vaporising several of the blade-like protrusions, before one pierced right through its armour, making it bleed in the darkness. It hung there, dead in space.

The crew cheered on their victory, but such a victory was short lived. The other vessels appeared through their tears in reality, just outside of the _Bulwarks _gravity well projector range. There were six of them now, four of which were small three hundred meter long escorts, guarding two six hundred meter long Cruisers of the same design as the one they had just crippled. The small flotilla closed in with startling speed, weapons already spitting out continuous streams of blinding white shard projectiles as they advanced.

"Point Laser and Ion cannons open fire, concussion barrages let loose. Damn it, try and lock onto them!"

The main weapon batteries of the _Bulwark _continued to pour round after round of destructive power against their rapidly approaching foes, the colossal recoils and roars of the Heavy Turbolasers soon joined by the coughs and bucks of the numerous smaller point defence laser and ion cannons. Within moments the space around the Star Destroyer became a killing field of precise energy beams of crimson and whitish blue.

Still the flotilla of smaller ships advanced, moving and manoeuvring at such impossible velocities that the Captain could have sworn his ship was engaging gunships, not frigate sized ships of war. Their weapon batteries began firing return salvos of continuous white shards, slamming into the _Bulwarks _weakening shields and weakening them further.

"Damn it, they're too fast." Glacius growled through clenched teeth. "If we keep fighting them like this then they will eventually whittle us down."

"Orders, Captain!"

"Prepare another Hyperdrive jump!"

"But we're at the edge of known territory, a jump from here could be catastrophic!" his CO shouted back.

"I don't care." He replied with a voice eerily calm. "Either we die here and give these bastards our ship, or we blow up in a sun. Frankly I consider the latter to be the better option. Plot a blind Hyperspace jump now!"

His CO looked at him piercingly for a moment, before hanging his head. "Yes, sir; prepare to plot a blind Hyperspace jump. Three lightyears ahead… helmsman, get us out of this skirmish!"

The _Bulwark _began to move forward, its salvoes of Turbolaser, laser and ion cannons pouring continuous streams of fire into the darkness of space. One of the smaller pickets attempted to get into their path, to stop them from leaving, but to a kilometre and a half Star Destroyer a three hundred meter picket was not an obstacle. "Ram the bastard!"

The escort hit the Star Destroyer head on, shields holding for a couple of seconds before collapsing. The small pirate ship banged against the _Bulwarks _shields and punch through to the heavily armoured hull. The small ship exploded. A blanket of flame covering it before it finally met its end in a gargantuan flash which turned it into a wreck. The Star Destroyer, now without frontal shielding and its bow armour burned through to its final layer, plotted its course and jumped for Hyperspace.

The Captain picked himself up from where he fell, and ignoring the steady bark of the warning klaxons looked over his bridge. Most of his crew had been forced to the deck thanks to the collision, many of whom looked disoriented. They all rushed back to their stations, someone turned off the warning klaxon, and the damage report was filed through.

"Frontal shields are down, damage to main Turbolaser batteries one and two, we've got several leaks on the bow… venting atmosphere!"

"Locate and plug the leaks, order repair crews to get batteries one and two back online and begin recharging that bloody forward shield!" Leonardo all but roared.

"Yes Captain!"

"Keep us in Hyperspace for an hour this time, and then drop out and prepare for battle."

"Yes Captain!"

"We're whittling them down sir."

"They're doing the same to us," Glacius replied, gripping the railing so tightly his leather gloves creaked. "Where the hell is the fleet, we need they're protection."

"For all we know we're all probably so scattered that there is no fleet."

"Sir, repair crews report damage to main batteries is minimal, some burnt out wiring and a chunk of debris ripped through two… one dead, two wounded."

"Get the wounded to Medbay, and ask how long it will take to fix them!"

There was a moment of silence before the reply came, "Turbolaser one can be battle-ready in a half hour, but the second one will take two hours minimum sir!"

"They have one hour, and what's the status with our fighters!"

"Out of the fifty fighters, twelve bombers and five Gunboats we're down to thirty three operational fighters, two Gunboats and eight bombers. Three X-wings and an A-wing are badly damaged. It's amazing they even got them landed." The comm. Officer looked at him with a saddened look. "They're taking a pounding sir."

"We're all taking a pounding son." Glacius replied solemnly, losing his anger. "Just tell them to hang in there."

* * *

Chief Wakabe watched as the X-wing landed on the deck, and gritted his teeth at the condition of the snubfighter. Black score marks dotted its frame from several direct hits and her left upper engine nacelle was smoking acrid black smog as she was shut down. He walked up to the fighter as repair crews swarmed her, already taking apart the shot nacelle and rearming the craft.

The X-wing belonged to a member of the Star Destroyers first fighter squadron. All Starfighter squadrons operating on carriers were named by colours, with red being the premier squadron, followed by blue and green squadrons for fighters and gold for bombers. This pilot was a member of Red Squadron, Flight Officer Jane Halls, designation Red eight. He climbed onto the folded wing and started shouting.

"What in the name of the Sith-spawning Mynock is your problem Halls, you got this bird shot up so bad she probably… won't be… flying-"

The first thing he noticed was the hole in the side of the cockpit, and the spatter of blood across the armoured glass. He hit the emergency opening system for the cockpit and watched as it opened to show the pilot. She was still breathing, and she had activated her pressure suit and fitted her breathing mask when she had heard the atmosphere alarm, but as he looked down he saw blood covering her orange jumpsuit.

She looked up at him, tearing off the mask and pulling off her helm with shaking hands. Blood was flowing from her mouth from internal bleeding, and her eyes were glassy. "Sorry about the… fighter…Chief."

"Force me," he whispered before leaning back. "Medic, I need a frakking medic NOW!"

A medic was already running across the chaotic hanger to get to him. The Chief reached in and grabbed her gloved hand, making her look up at him. The Nautalon noticed she had green eyes. "Did I do good… chief?"

He smiled weakly, "Yea kid, you did real well, just look at me, keep your eyes on me and don't close them alright. Medics coming to take a look at you and you'll be just fine."

The medic was beside him, pushing him aside as he began to check her vitals. Her grip on his hand tightened, and he returned it to try and keep her calm. He hoped she would be alright. The girl didn't look any older than a teenager fresh out of the academy. Her grip began to slacken.

"Shit, we're losing her." The medic growled before looking at another four approaching with a stretcher. "I want an emergency trauma centre ready for us now!"

* * *

Alarm claxons blared continuously, shaking the Captain from his thoughts and forcing his attention back to reality. "What is it now!"

"We're picking up a gravity anomaly right in our path," the panicked voice of his chief navigator filtered into his hearing. "Sector seven, three, nine, five. Looks like its strong enough to be a gas giant."

"Force me, begin emergency hyperspace exit protocol." Leonardo roared, and grabbed onto the railing to brace himself. He saw the men and women in the crew pits below do the exact same thing, gripping onto their consoles, railings and bolted in chairs for leverage. Emergency hyperspace jumps were always a little, bumpy. "Mark!"

There was a sudden push of g-force, enough to send everyone sprawling from their positions as the _Bulwark _was forcibly removed from hyperspace. The entire superstructure of the modified Star Destroyer shook violently, and the Captain could hear a loud groan as the ship struggled to hold itself together. The long lines of stars became simple dots in the darkness again, along with other, less comforting spectacles.

Looking through the main viewscreens the Captain became aware of a number of worrying occurrences. Tracer rounds of projectile weapons and large energy beams of condensed power filled the space before him. He could make out small shapes in the darkness, ships and debris. They had performed an emergency hyperspace exit, and had ended up right in the middle of a warzone.

Proximity alarms blared, adding to the already near deafening sound of the gravitic warning claxons. Instinctually Glacius looked down just in time to see a shadow slowly creep across his bridge, and he looked up through the viewscreens in time to see perhaps one of the most terrifying things a ship's captain would ever see.

The vessel above them was huge to his eyes, easily dwarfing his kilometre and a half long Star Destroyer, making the frontline warship look like a simple escort in comparison. He watched as weapon batteries easily a few stories high opened fire upon some unseen foe in the distance, spewing out thick lines of destructive yellow beams that seemed capable of rending the surface of a planet asunder.

"Evasive action," his voice came out as a whisper at first, and when the proximity claxons went off again, informing him of the arrival of their pursuers he spoke again with a great roar, "Evasive action!"

He heard another groan of the superstructure as the _Bulwark _was brought into a dive a little too steep for her original designs to take. But it was working, ion engines of their sublight drives now flaring at full capacity they began putting distance between them and the huge, monolithic warship above them.

"How are our damaged main batteries?"

"One is fully repaired, but the crews in two say they need a further five minutes." His comm. Officer replied nervously.

"Sir, we have contacts!"

"How many?" he asked.

"Sith me… at least twenty plus, set in a defensive formation. Force me we've jumped right in the middle of a fleet formation."

Glacius looked out of the viewscreen, watching as lances of destructive light traced their way through the darkness. "It's worse than that my dear. We've jumped right in the middle of a war."

"Enemy vessels closing… wait." There was a moment of silence as his radar officer brought up several holographic images of the Dark Eldar ships. "Force me, they've been fired upon by the unknown flotilla… they've turned to engage."

"Incoming enemy fire!" someone yelled.

"Shields up!"

The main deflector shields came online just as a few lances of close range weapons fire struck against them, making them flare a great blue as the deflectors absorbed the enemy fire. "Shields are holding steady, orders sir?"

"Return fire with broadside turbolaser batteries! How far away are we!"

"We've managed about ten thousand kilometres from the enemy fleet… fire is coming from one of their escorts. The bulk of the formation seems to be engaging the Dark Eldar vessels." His chief sensor officer replied, turning his head.

"Keep going; get us out of range before they bring their heavier guns to bear on us… full power to the sublight engines now!"

"Aye, Captain."

Crimson lances of turbolaser fire flared at the edges of his vision, telling the Captain that his portside weapon batteries had begun a return volley against the enemy picket. Thick lances of orange light were met by thinner, yet more precise beams of crimson red as the two ships exchanged fire. He could see the ship attacking them, and guessed that it was about seven hundred meters long, a Frigate sized picket at best.

"Give me long range sensor scans of the whole system, effective immediately. I want to know how many ships are in this melee, and where the main contingents are. Find me some empty spots so we can make our escape!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

The battle of Kronus had been raging for the better part of a week, and there still didn't seem to be an end in sight. Lord Admiral Xavier Tobias sat in his command chair, looking through his main viewing portal at the huge space battle taking place around the planet. It was perhaps one of the most diverse battles he had ever seen in his military career.

Tau, Imperium, Astartes and Orkoid fleets had been pummelling each other since the battles beginnings. What was worse was that the Imperial forces in the system were not working in synchrony. In fact it seemed more like civil war than anything else. Astartes Strike Cruisers of the Blood Ravens had taken control of high orbit over their forces beachhead and had fired upon any warships that had gotten too close, this included ships of the Imperial Navy.

The majority of Ork warships had either been destroyed or suffered such damage that they were unable to continue the conflict. The Lord Admiral knew there were Eldar ships of Ulthwe somewhere in the system, but they were remaining quiet for the moment and he was not interested in performing a system wide search to find them.

The real combatants now were the Tau and his own fleet; both had considerable forces in the system, each numbering easily in the hundreds of ships from small corvettes and frigates to massive grand cruisers and Battlecruisers. The Tau had taken complete control of the high orbit surrounding their army's central command and surrounding territories. His own ships were able to secure Governor Alexander's beachhead to the east, and were even now heavily engaged with Tau flotillas across the system.

Proximity claxons went off with a colossal roar, startling the Lord Admiral from his reverie. His gaze immediately swept across the huge pits of the bridge below him. "What in the name of the Emperor was that?"

"Unknown contact milord," one of his command deck personnel reported from his auspex console. "It's right in the middle of the fleet. Short range Auspex shows it to be just over a kilometre and a half in length."

"Give me a view!" he ordered sharply, watching as the massive screen flickered, changing the view from a long range look at the enemy command ship to a much smaller, sleeker vessel. It looked like a wedge of dagger with a command tower on the dorsal section and four great dome like constructs along its sides. Even from the distance Tobias could see the storey tall weapon emplacements scattered strategically across its hull. "Has it opened fire?"

"Negative Lord Admiral… its performing evasive manoeuvres," his auspex officer reported, and Tobias watched as the smaller vessel performed a dive, moving away from his fleet.

"Prepare a volley from the main guns," he ordered simply, without a second thought. "Orders are to cripple fleeing vessel, not destroy."

"Yes sir," his vox officer replied, but before he could move onto his task the command deck was harried by the noise of another deafening proximity alarm, followed by a small explosion which rattled the superstructure of his Grand Cruiser.

"Incoming contacts," his vospex officer exclaimed, before gasping. "Dark Eldar craft, six of them… by the Emperor they're right in the middle of us!"

"Dark Eldar, here," Xavier exclaimed in surprise, before he saw it for himself. The unmistakable shape of a Darkling Cruiser soared past his main viewport, shards of white light escaping from its many splinter cannon and main weapon batteries. The six hundred meter long capital ship moved with an incredible speed, grace and manoeuvrability far beyond anything besides an Imperial Gunship.

"Point defence rail-guns and light weapon batteries open fire," he ordered briskly, standing from his chair and walking across the command deck. "Scramble fighter squadrons to intercept. What about the other ship?"

"It is still retreating milord," his auspex officer replied. "The Frigate _Glory and Honour _has intercepted, now exchanging fire with unknown vessel."

"Should we disable her sir?"

"No, throwing off these xeno scums comes first," Xavier replied, gritting his teeth. "Order the _Glory and Honour _to continue engaging unknown ship. We'll take care of these masochistic bastards."

"Yes sir,"

"One of the Darkling escorts is breaking off, heading straight towards unknown vessel."

"It seems these xenos have an interest in this ship."

* * *

"Raider vessel coming from our starboard side," the sensor officer reported from his station. "Closing fast, orders sir!"

Glacius looked over from his place on the command deck, originally watching his portside Turbolaser batteries exchange fire with the smaller Frigate, who retaliating with streams of yellow light. He could tell that although the enemy escort packed more of a punch in its main weapons they had accuracy and range. The smaller Frigate was taking more damage than they were.

"Order the starboard Turbolaser batteries to open up, point defence and ion cannons are to prepare for close range action." He ordered, before turning to his CO. "Distance from enemy formation?"

"Fifty thousand kilometres and going," his first officer replied.

"Keep going, it seems their main weapons aren't as long ranged as ours. Keep our distance and we can whittle them down." He watched as the starboard Turbolaser batteries began to spew out beams of crimson light upon the fast approaching Frigate, who returned fire with yellow lances of destructive energy.

In the blink of an eye a third ship joined the skirmish, and the _Bulwark _found herself harried from all sides, the three hundred meter long pirate escort passed by the Star Destroyers ventral section, blazing away from its main weapon batteries. Then its frontal weapon systems opened fire on the already beleaguered Frigate. The Captain watched as concentrated fire from both vessels popped its shields like a needle to a bubble.

"Shields are down, concentrate fire on its engines and main weapon batteries!" he ordered, and was given an affirmative as the comm. Officers relayed his orders to the gunnery crews. Immediately the Turbolaser batteries changed their firing solutions, concentrating fire upon its engine nacelles and visible weapon turrets. Small explosions dotted her hull as Turbolaser and splinter fire chewed away at heavy armour. One of its main batteries blew up, sending her listing to starboard, and then an explosion on its portside nacelle sent her dipping down by ninety degrees. She began a slow uncontrollable spiral, dead in space.

"Cease fire," he ordered simply, watching as the main Turbolasers fired one last time before going silent. "She's no threat to us anymore. Get some more distance between us and that flotilla."

The ion engines of the Star Destroyer flared once again, and the capital-ship continued its flight from the Imperial taskforce, still entrenched in close range battle with their Dark Eldar adversaries. The Captain looked on as the huge colossal vessels slowly lessened in size, beams of yellow and white light still visible, followed by plumes of explosions. Then he looked back at the crippled Frigate, and watched as the pirate vessel continued to bombard it. Glacius ground his teeth in irritation, what honour came with killing defenceless prey?

"Rear Turbolaser cannons," he called out, gaining the attention of his subordinates. "Give that pirate vessel a concentrated volley!"

"Yes sir,"

He watched from his holotable as the rear Turbolaser batteries of his interdictor opened up with devastating force, aimed for the Dark Eldar vessel a good twenty thousand kilometres from their position.

The crimson beams of light slammed into the rear of the enemy Frigate, form burning a bright purple as the beams were absorbed by the escort's shields. The firing continued, added by the additional salvoes of long range proton torpedoes and concussion missiles. Small swarms of the ship killing weapons were fired from a dozen rear tubes, guidance systems directing them to their targets, engines and main weapon systems.

Point defence systems opened up in response, and a series of small plumes represented the premature detonation of a dozen torpedoes and missiles. Some got through and they slammed into the taxed shields with a mighty series of explosions which ruptured the small corsair vessels primary defence, a few surviving torpedoes ripping through armour and opening several decks to vacuum. The next volley of heavy Turbolaser fire did the rest, and the three hundred meter long frigate went up in a ball of fire like a miniature sun.

"Target destroyed sir,"

"Hmm, the armour of these pirate vessels seems to be woefully inadequate," Glacius mused. "It appears they rely more on speed and shields than actual armour. Give me a status report on that skirmish?"

"Aye sir, the raiders have lost another two ships and appear to be on the retreat. Unknown flotilla is splitting up. I have four vessels pursuing the pirates, and another two breaking off in our direction." His sensory officer reported, reading the data coming through to his terminal. "One appears to be a Frigate, similar to the one we just crippled. But the other is much larger. I'd say about eight kilometres in length, heavy Cruiser or Battlecruiser analogue."

"They're firing!"

The unknown Capital-ship and escort immediately opened fire upon the _Bulwark_ with their powerful anti-ship weapons, lances of yellow light streamed past the Star Destroyers form, several slamming against their shields, weakening them to the point of near depletion. "Another couple of hits like that and they'll be chewing through armour!"

Glacius shouted, "Distance!"

"Ninety thousand kilometres sir," his sensory officer replied. "It seems that we're just outside of their effective range, I'd guess if they'd fired when we were between eighty and eighty five thousand then we'd probably be a wreck!"

"That's they're effective range?" the Captain asked, before a grin came over his face. "Full power to engines, and have rear Turbolaser batteries continue firing!"

The two warships continued to open fire, and the Captain cringed every time a weakened bolt struck their increasingly weakening shields. Leonardo Glacius knew the schematics of his ship down to the letter. According to his sensory officer the enemy's main batteries had an effective range of between eighty and eighty five thousand kilometres, while his Star Destroyers main Turbolaser batteries had an effective range of just over two hundred thousand kilometres. That gave them an advantage in long range weaponry. There was a problem however. According to scans the enemy's main guns had twice the firepower of his counterparts, so in close range they would most likely be turned to molten slag.

Warning claxons buzzed, warning that the rear deflectors were nearing their breaking point. "Rear deflector shield is down to twenty percent and falling, another well placed shot and we'll have nothing but our hull armour!"

"Sith me," the ship's Captain growled. "We need a miracle!"

His silent prayer seemed to fail him, "Sir, new vessels incoming right in front of us… force help us, three, no four of them, one heavy and three escorts!"

"Sith me,"

* * *

The Damocles Gulf Crusade had not been kind to the Tau Empire. Many of her outlying worlds were laid to waste before the might of the Imperial Crusade Armada which cut a swath of destruction through their outer territories. But the Empire was nothing if not adaptive, and now, three years after the first wave of Crusade capital-ships pierced their borders the Tau were fully prepared to push them back.

It was blatantly obvious that the space faring vessels the Tau had used until now were not going to be able to fight toe to toe with these Gue'vesa Imperials. So the Ethereals had commissioned a massive Fleet Renovation Program, putting new technologies into action to stop this threat against them. The results were truly impressive.

Kor'O Vera Shi, an Admiral of the Tau Air Caste and commanding officer of the Kronus fleet was seeing the results of the Fleet Renovation Program right before his very eyes. He was standing on one such ship. The _Or'es El'leath-class Battleship_, known as _Custodian _in the Gue'vesa tongue was the next generation in Tau command ship, faster, sleeker and more powerful than its predecessors its manta ray design was fast becoming the bane of the Gue'vesa space forces.

Three kilometres in length, armed to the teeth with anti-ship pulse and ion cannons as well as point defence rail-guns and several torpedo tubes the_ Or'es El'leath-class_, with a contingent of zero gravity Battlesuits to help in its defence was more than capable of holding its own against Imperial Cruisers. It's three escorts, kilometre long _Lar'shi'vre-class Cruisers_, or _Protector-class, _also products of the Fleet Renovation Program held the same manta designs as their larger mothership and were deadly in their own right.

With these new warships under their command the Air Caste, honoured space arm of Tau society were fighting back against the Crusade oppressors, grinding their advance to a bloody stalemate and were even beginning to regain territory in some places. If successful Kronus would be the first major victory the Air Caste would have against the Imperium of Man.

There was a problem in that their new ships, though powerful, were few in number. More would be built and commissioned in time, but until then the Air Caste would have to do with what they had. Ancient and bulky _Gal'leath-class Battleships, Explorers, _and _Il'fannor-class Cruisers, Merchants,_ still made up the bulk of the Tau Air Caste, and while they had undergone unprecedented modifications to make them more capable they were still not as powerful as their human counterparts. Still they were cheap to build and easy to man, and it was these advantages that had kept the Crusade back for so long.

"Kor'O,"

Abruptly the Admiral spun around, snapping a perfect military salute to the one who asked for him. Walking briskly up the simple smooth walkway towards his command level was a tall male, his body covered by a simple pair of black robes with gold trim, and leaning on the worn wood of his ancient staff. Aun'O Tash'var Shovah was of the honoured Ethereal Caste, the guiding light and leaders of the Tau Empire. Just by being in his presence the Admiral felt reassured of their victory against the Imperium of Man, a deep certainty that they could win for the Empire and the Greater Good.

"Ethereal Shovah," he greeted. "I apologise if the surrounding events have awakened you from your sleep."

The ancient Ethereal waved him off as he came to stand beside him, looking out of the main bubble shaped viewscreen of the _Silentnights _Bridge. As if his wizened old eyes saw something that Kor'O Vera Shi would never be able to see. Finally the Ethereal spoke, a gravelly sound which showed his great age.

He pointed to a spot in the starry darkness, and the Admiral could swear he saw the yellow lances of Imperial Lance fire, as well as the lightning blue of ion cannons and crimson streaks that he could not identify. "Order the taskforce to pitch ninety degrees and move there."

"Of course Ethereal Shovah, but what is out there?"

"A meeting is destined to take place there, a meeting which will grant the Tau Empire the tools we need to spread the light of the Greater Good to the galaxy," he said without hesitation, and Kor'O could not object to him, the wisdom of the Ethereals was absolute, and always followed without question. "Be prepared for battle Kor'O."

He nodded his head, before relaying the orders.


	9. Lost in the Void: pt II

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Lost in the Void**_

_**Part II**_

_**Author's Note 1: **_Does anybody know what the Forces of Chaos use for starfighters and bombers, or can I let my imagination take over here? It's just that I checked the codex and a few websites; I've come up on a blank here. Do they and the Imperium just use Gunships or something, because every small fighter craft I've found has been an Atmospheric fighter or bomber?

_**Author's Note 2: **_Star Wars and Warhammer are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story.

* * *

Captain Leonardo Glacius watched with bated breath as the four new contacts closed in with impressive speed. This seemed to be a battle they were not going to be able to outrun, out of the frying pan and into the freezer. They were able to lose the raider squadron which had chased them, only to jump right into the middle of an unfriendly fleet formation of twenty warships, and now, as they were finally gaining ground a new set of contacts appeared on their long range scanners.

"Gunnery control," he said into the ships comm. with a dry gulp. "Are they in range for the main batteries?"

"Yes sir," was the reply. "Do we have orders to open fire?"

Glacius was about to reply, about to make a decision which he knew would doom his vessel and its crew of over thirty thousand sentient people, yet something stilled his fateful decision. It was a slight pressure in the back of his mind, nudging him so subtly that he almost felt like it was his own change of heart.

"No," he said, eyes going wide and glassy for a moment. "Stand down frontal turbolaser batteries."

His second in command looked up at him for a moment, finally Anton Sulvan turned to the bridge crew "You heard him, stand down frontal turbolaser batteries… should we broadcast a surrender signal sir?"

"Unknown contacts bearing down on us, thirty thousand kilometres and closing," the ships chief sensor operator Jash Sonda exclaimed.

"Negative, keep the batteries battle ready, but do not fire unless fired upon." Glacius almost couldn't accept the words coming from his mouth, almost as if he was looking through the eyes of another person.

"Fifteen thousand kilometres,"

"Are you sure about this sir?"

"Something," he whispered, more to himself than his CO. "Something is… guiding me."

"Ten thousand," Jash's voice roused both Captain and Commander. "They're not firing. They should have fired by now!"

"Visual sighted,"

"On screen,"

The holographic image appeared before the two senior officers, showing them the approaching new wave of ships. They were definitely not related to the two lumbering behemoths giving chase behind them. They were nowhere near the same size. They were not bulky hulking fortresses of weapons but sleek and beautiful. For a brief moment Glacius was reminded of the Starships of the Mon Calamari.

The three escorts, roughly the same size as a _Nebula-class _Star Destroyer zoomed past them, one tilting itself by forty degrees to bring its ventral weapon systems to bear on the _Bulwarks _own ventral section. The entire crew tensed, but the escort moved on, towards the two vessels giving chase.

Leonardo watched as yellow beams of deadly light blasted from the weapon batteries of their pursuers, only to be met by beams of eerie blue light as the three much smaller, but much faster light cruisers returned fire. Glacius watched as they closed the gap, and began curving around the much larger vessels like a pack of sharks surrounding prey, hammering them with weapons fire.

The fourth vessel, which was easily twice the size of the modified interdictor, came up alongside the Star Destroyer. There was a moment of tension, and then the Battlecruiser analogue began to move, as if silently asking the destroyer to follow. For a moment the Captain was once again torn, but again he felt a nudge at the back of his mind and gave the order to fall into position beside the larger vessel.

"Escort vessels have broken off assault on heavy and escort, they are moving to rejoin."

His communications officer broke the tense silence, her heavily accented voice breaking through. "I'm getting some distorted noise through the comlink system sir."

"Might be our _saviours _trying to contact us," Sulvan frowned.

"Try and find the frequency they're using," Glacius ordered sternly. "I want to know who these people are, and what the hell is going on here."

"Aye sir,"

Leonardo turned to Anton, and a silent nod was all the two veteran ship commanders needed. Together they walked from the main foyer of the Star Destroyer, up the steps and exiting to the command level, a central walkway separating the two crew pits. They walked until they reached the main viewscreen, then his second in command turned on him with a calculating eye. "What was that back there? You were about to give the order to fire, but then you froze."

Glacius frowned as he tried to remember the moment. He had been ready to give the order, but then he had felt a sudden, subtle pressure, silently urging him to reconsider. The details were getting harder to remember. "It was nothing, just intuition in the heat of the moment."

"Sir-"

"I said it was nothing," he cut him off with a hint of steel, telling his second that the conversation was over. His chief communications officer's voice broke through the stillness before either man could argue.

"Sir, we've managed to gain contact with the commander of the flotilla, an Admiral Kor'O Vera Shi is awaiting you!"

The Captain nodded and stalked back down the walkway towards the command foyer, ignoring his commanding officers piercing stare as he came to the communications hub. He looked over the young woman's shoulder to get a good look at their protector. He was a humanoid with leathery dark blue skin, a flat face and crimson eyes. He wore a strange high collared longcoat of tan with black trim, and under that was what appeared to be a tan mesh suit.

He bowed curtly, "I greet you in the name of the Tau Empire. I am Kor'O Vera Shi, Admiral of the Tau 33rd Expansionary Fleet."

It was only manners to return the greeting with one of his own, so the Captain stood at attention and nodded his head in reply. "I am Leonardo Glacius, Captain of the Alliance Star Destroyer _Bulwark_. A pleasure Admiral, and thank you for your assistance."

"Alas, it was not I who saw you in your hour of need," the Admiral answered, before taking a step to the side. Another Tau came into view, this one much older in appearance, garbed in golden robes with black trim and leaning heavily on a worn old wooden staff. He looked up at the Captain with piercing eyes. "This is Ethereal Aun'O Tash'var Shovah. It was he who sensed the plight of your ship and ordered us to intervene."

The Ethereal nodded his head, and once again the Captain felt a subtle pressure at the back of his skull, "A pleasure Captain."

* * *

Lord Admiral Tobias gritted his teeth in near rage as he studied the stony expression of his subordinate. The Captain of the _Gothic-class _Cruiser he had sent after the unknown ship didn't show any outward emotion of fear before the wrath of his superior officer, and it was that which would save him a trip to the execution squad.

"Define lost them," voice eerily calm yet holding a brewing storm just under the surface.

"We engaged unknown vessel as per orders milord, but we were ambushed by a flotilla of new Tau warships. The escorts kept us at bay while their Battlecruiser analogue escorted the unknown into their buffer zone." The Captain replied crisply. "If we followed both of my ships would have been lost to the enemy."

"You were stopped by a small flotilla of those outdated wrecks!"

"No milord, they were some of those newer craft." The captain replied without hesitation. "Three vessels of the _Protector-class _and a single _Custodian-class _Battleship, we were outnumbered by a faster, more manoeuvrable enemy in a location where they could have brought half their defensive battlegroup upon us if they wanted to, so I ordered a withdrawal."

"_You _ordered a withdrawal. You do not have the _authority _to order a withdrawal. It doesn't matter if these; xeno scum came down upon you with their full fleet. You are an officer of the Imperial Navy. Extension of the divine Emperor's will, defeat is unacceptable." he roared before rising to his place. "It is only because of your record that I do not space you for such a failure, Captain. Now get out of my sight!"

The Captain nodded before his image was replaced by static. The Lord Admiral growled deep in his throat as he fell into his command throne, hand reaching up to massage his throbbing temple. That ship used some kind of unknown faster-than-light travel to jump right in the middle of his fleet squadron. They had managed to escape the sight of his main guns thanks to those Dark Eldar raiders, and now the ship had found sanctuary with their Tau adversaries.

"Get me Admiral Haig. It's time we sent these blue skinned xeno an uppercut they will never forget!"

* * *

The meeting point was located deep within Tau controlled territory, safely behind layer after layer of fleet squadrons, zerograv Battlesuits and swarms of flitting starfighters. The space station, several bubble shaped sections connected by walkways, was a simple resupply platform for any vessels that needed it, located in deep orbit over the central Tau controlled region on the planet it wasn't designed for a first contact between two galactic nations.

But that was what was happening.

One of the small holds had been hastily converted into a meeting hall, masses of crates moved elsewhere to make way for a simple table and chairs. On one side was the Tau Admiral and Ethereal, guarded by a full unit of tan armoured Fire Warriors. On the other was Captain Glacius, guarded over by a squad of carapace armoured Alliance Marines.

"You see our predicament, Captain." Admiral Kor'O finished as he explained the situation. Kronus had been one of their colonies for several decades, taken away from the dominant power in the galaxy, the Imperium of Man when they had abandoned it. The Tau had come, protected the world and had both it and its human population amalgamated into their growing Empire. Now the Imperials wanted the planet back, and they had sent a large enough force to do it. "If we do not throw off these invaders then the planet will be lost."

"I understand your situation Admiral, really I do." Glacius replied. "But we are just a single ship, and we have been battered relentlessly by enemy forces for several days before our arrival here. I don't see how much we can tip the scales of this conflict to your side."

"You can help us more than you know, Captain." Ethereal Shovah spoke up, piercing eyes seemingly gazing through the Captain's very soul. Glacius felt a tug, a strange alien urge to offer his unconditional support, but he squashed it down viciously. "If not on the front lines then perhaps in a more defensive role, many civilians have flocked to our major cities. With the help of any ground forces you can spare we may be able to not just protect them but perhaps evacuate them as well."

"Ethereal Shovah," Leonardo sighed. "My people are a very long way from home, and while I understand your plight my first priority is to get my crew back to the fleet."

"And where is this fleet, Captain?"

"That we do not know. There was an incident and we were separated." The Captain's eyes widened by how simply he had handed out such critical information, yet it left his mouth before he had a chance to think. Something was not right here, but what? He changed tactics. "We know very little about what is happening here, and I would like detailed, unbiased information on the factions at work if I am to give you any form of support."

"Then you shall have it. The Admiral shall send all the information on the various factions vying for control of this planet." He looked the Captain in the eye, and the urge returned ten times stronger than before. "Please Captain, we do not ask that you're forces join us in open war, just that you offer defence to those whom we cannot defend."

* * *

Kronus was a young planet, shown in the evidence that it sported only a single continent, surrounded by vast oceans. This continent was rich in almost every form of terrain imaginable, grasslands, mountain ranges, forests, deserts and marshes. The planets population was roughly two hundred million, three quarters of whom were human while the rest belonged to Tau settlers who had migrated to the colony over the decades.

It was once a paradise. Cities dotted the landscape, separated by lush countryside which was slowly being turned into farmland to help support the planets ever growing population. The Tau had hoped that with time the planet would become a major agricultural world, another source of produce to help their expanding nation.

But they were so focused on their war against the Imperium that they didn't see that the beauty of the planet was merely a disguise, hiding a hideous, ageless evil under its depths. Farseer Taldeer sat in darkness, dressed in a simple black robe with cream trim, a half dozen multicoloured soulstones gravitated around her raised slender hand. Her eyes were closed as she submerged herself into the ever changing currents of the past and future, divining which course of action to take.

The gates of time were clouded to her sight, and the enigmatic Farseer frowned as she was unable to break through the fog. Her powers of divination would not be helpful in this upcoming conflict. The Necron were well known for this. They were not creatures of the warp, so reading their intentions was difficult. One thing was certain. These ignorant young races had stirred a great evil under their very feet.

She had hoped that by leading her pursuers to this world that they would help in this upcoming battle, but it turned out her sight was clouded even then. Governor Alexander and his small army was more interested in two goals; capturing her for her actions against them on Lorn V, and reclaiming this planet in the name of their dead Emperor.

She had thought of beseeching the Tau, but like the brash Mon'Keigh they were more interested in throwing Alexander's forces off their little planet. They had assembled their armies and navies for a fierce battle for control of this world. Their territories were swarming with fresh troops from the Tau, Kroot, Vespid and Human sympathizers.

Then there was the surprise entrance of the Space Marines of the Blood Ravens chapter. For a moment she considered asking them for assistance, but like the others it had all been in vain. They were more interested in a mass of trinkets and artefacts located on the planet, and any envoy sent to their camp would not return.

There was only one final solution; she would lead the forces of Ulthwe in a conquest of this planet and destroy the Necron menace before it could fully manifest itself.

She had managed to secure a base, located on the north eastern edge of the main continent was a large chain of snow capped mountains. Her forces were secure in the natural defences of the cliffs and rugged terrain, and with the creation of their three webway gates complete they were ready to bring the song of war to Kronus.

She felt his presence long before he entered her sanctuary and allowing the multicoloured stones to glide into her palm she looked around in time to see Ahrun, the eldest and first of her council of Seers, enter the small confine of wraithbone. He was a hundred years her senior, but age had not been unkind to him. His hair was still pitch black, his pale skin still smooth with only the few blemishes of scars visible; eyes were still razor sharp and ebbing with power.

He stepped closer to her, and awaiting her nod sat cross-legged beside her. "I beg your pardon milady; I did not wish to intrude."

"You never intrude Ahrun," she replied with a small smile. "Now what news have you brought?"

"Do you remember a month ago? When Biel-Tan sent out a message to keep an eye open for a certain design of starship?" How could she forget? She had never met Farseer Aldrich Macha personally, but she considered her fellow Farseer was a bit of a rogue, especially with her supposed interest in a certain Space Marine.

"I do," she replied simply.

"Our scouts in deep orbit have reported sighting a ship which fits the description given by the Biel-Tan," Ahrun began, and with a wave of his hand activated the holographic sensors in the small meditation chamber. Immediately the pure white wraithbone walls were replaced by the starry darkness of space, Kronus lay beneath them and the great fleet of the Tau was scattered around them. Taldeer eyed their ships, considering them more aesthetically pleasing than the hulking Imperial warships.

Then _it _caught her attention. Right in the middle of the Tau fleet, floating about ten kilometres from one of their resupply stations was a ship that did indeed fit the description. It didn't follow the trend of Tau design, but it was still a pleasing vessel to the eye. Roughly a kilometre and a half in length, wedged or sword shaped with four protruding spheres, two on either side. It matched the description almost perfectly.

Ahrun looked at her, "What do you divine, milady?"

Taldeer watched the vessel for a few heartbeats before she spoke, "I want a scout ready to fly immediately. Contact Biel-Tan and tell them we have found one of their lost ships."

The divination of time, once clouded and foggy, suddenly became clearer and a possible vision of the future flashed before her eyes. The Necron under heavy assault from land, sea and air, Falcon Grav Tanks, Jetbikes, Fire Prisms and Vypers fighting beside huge four legged walkers, towering war machines and a diverse array of aerial fighters. Her warriors fighting back to back alongside carapace armoured soldiers of unidentified race.

Victory was still uncertain, but this vision calmed her mind and made her certain of what needed to be done for the best chance of success. "Perhaps this is not a hopeless cause after all."

* * *

Captain Vladimir Koslov watched in horror as their only escort, the Frigate _Hallowed Light _detonated in a bright flash of flame. It's main core going critical and engulfing the once proud Imperial vessel, turning it into nothing more than a twisted wreck. The perpetrators of the picket's destruction soared past it without a care, giving chase to his vessel through the starry night.

Pirates, traitors, three ancient vessels which probably dated back all the way to the Great Crusade and beyond, ships which had fell into the hands of murderous traitors whose only loyalty was too the Chaos Gods and the abominations of the warp. A single _Slaughter-class _Cruiser stood out, its once pristine hull darkened by disrepair and scorches from near hits, flanking the ancient warship were two equally ancient _Sword-class _Frigates, and like their flagship they had fallen into a state of disrepair. Even the beams of energy released from them seemed tainted by the vile traitors within, once yellow lance beams now a dark, ominous red as they were discharged.

His ship was not a ship of war, but a colonisation vessel, millennia old and considered an antique, the vessel was the same rough size as one of the Divine Emperor's hallowed Battleships, but carried nowhere near as much armament. The _Hand of Salvation_ was designed to transport and house a population of nine hundred thousand men, women and children.

It's only real defences were a couple of lance batteries, several dozen point defence laser cannons and the remnants of the 32nd Dasios Regiment they had taken with them, three hundred and twenty tired, weary and defeated men. The rest of the _Hand of Salvations _hull was comprised of bubble shaped viewing platforms and light hull armour.

They were the last survivors of their planet, Dasios III had been a simple agricultural colony just a week ago, population ten million settlers and a Regiment of the planets own Imperial Guard, the 32nd, on leave from battling Orkoid and Tyranid incursions in the Eastern fringe, twenty light years away. Then a huge splinter fleet of Tyranids descended and began systematically destroying the defences of the lightly defended world. Koslov was a retired Imperial Captain who stormed the ancient _Hand of Salvation, _then a museum, with a handful of Imperial Guard and PDF troopers and, despite impossible odds got her space worthy again after a century of inactivity, just as the main force of Tyranids made planet side.

Out of ten million settlers and five thousand Imperial Guardsmen he was able to save a mere nine hundred thousand, mainly women and children, and just over three hundred of those brave souls who defended them to the last. They broke orbit, threw themselves through the Tyranid ships and hooked up with the last surviving vessel of their defence fleet, the _Hallowed Light,_ a _Firestorm-class _Frigate.

Then they were set upon by a Chaos pirate flotilla, lying in wait outside of their lost system. Now the _Hallowed Light _was gone and those survivors were now going to become the playthings of a bunch of sick, psychopathic traitors, killers, rapists and murderers all. There was no hope. The mood of the bridge made that perfectly clear.

He had hoped for a quick death, for the Cruiser to pummel their ship into wreckage. A better alternative than what would happen if they were taken alive. But when the Gellar fields fell and their engines were disabled by a few well timed strikes the Pirates did what he most feared. The Cruiser went ahead of them, firing the occasional shot to silence his lance batteries, and a single frigate came up alongside them, trusting in its compatriot to silence what few guns his colonial ship had.

It fired several hooks, a big as three grown men and attached to adamantium cables. The hooks sunk into his ships light armour like a knife through butter, and once secured the Frigate opened its small hanger, spewing out five ancient Gunships, carrying Blood Pact or even Chaos Space Marines into his ship.

All was lost.

* * *

Private Fredric Ackerman rushed down the long corridor, slamming a fresh power pack into his lasgun as he reached his destination. He was one of a platoon of men gathered to meet the impending attack from the traitors. He was tired, fatigued from fighting against the Tyranid swarms, and now he was going to stand shoulder to shoulder with men he didn't know against the Great Enemy.

The Platoon was a mashed up one, made of survivors from several platoons pulled together at the last moment. Their leader was Sergeant Armando Ramirez, a veteran of several conflicts against Orks and Nids, the man was easily in his late thirties, armed with a lasgun and pistol, and a powersword their commander had given him along with the Regiments standard.

"Alright you Emperor be sodden fools, take up defensive positions, and when that door opens kill anything that comes through. Got it? Good, for the Emperor!"

"For the Emperor," the eighteen men murmured as they rounded the corner and began taking up positions. The halls and corridors of the colonial ship was a maze of main corridors and many smaller side alleys and curves, plenty of places for defensive positions.

Ackerman placed himself in a side corridor and slinging his lasgun aimed down the sights to the thick doors between them and the hanger bay. The Captain had ordered the blast doors sealed to hinder the enemy's progress. To allow the remnants of the 32nd time to reach the chockpoints and to give civilians time to evacuate as far away from the fighting as possible. Some of the men had volunteered and were thrown a lasgun and filed into a Platoon; most of the rest were conscripted.

'Fight or die' the Commissar had shouted.

Strange that he was nowhere to be seen now.

He hoped that the boarding party was made up off cultists, they were easy to kill. Blood Pact would be harder, but keeping the former Imperial Guardsmen back wasn't impossible. Chaos Space Marines was another matter; if they were involved then they were all dead.

His musings were thrown aside as the blast door began to buck. It was easily three top four meters of armour, but against the power of a high calibre explosive, or Emperor help them a couple of Heavy Bolters it wouldn't last long. Then it began to spark from the hinges, an explosion sent the half tone door inward.

Then all hell broke loose.

A Blood Pact Guardsmen came through the smoke, firing from his lasgun. Ackerman sighted his head and squeezed the trigger, sending a concentrated beam of crimson into the bastards head. He fell back from the force, dropping his gun. Three more Blood Pact came through, firing at will. Ackerman was aware of seeing Oliver go down without the top of his head, then Louis with several burn marks in his torso.

He heard the ear numbing sound of a bolt pistol discharging and the head of the lead traitor Guardsmen turned into red mist, and then the one beside him fell back with a gaping hole in his chest. Sergeant Ramirez growled as he fired another two rounds, one taking off the arm of the third Guardsmen, a hail of lasfire did the rest.

"Not so tough eh lads!" the Serge whopped in delight, bringing cheers from the men around him, for a moment Ackerman felt a little hope, maybe the Emperor was watching out for them after all.

It was short lived.

A lasround flew from the still smoking ruins, sending the Sergeants head flying back as it hit him in the crown. The man fell back like a sack of potatoes, and as his head hit the floor, eyes open showing only white, the chants of the damned filtered through the corridor, lead by the voice of a being beyond human.

A Chaos Space Marine emerged through the smouldering remains. A huge hulking monstrosity, black armour with spikes on the shoulder pads and horns fused onto his helm. In his gauntleted hands was a Heavy Bolter, already spitting out rounds of high explosive death into the corridor. Men fell headless, or with missing limbs or gaping holes through chests and abdomens. He saw Private Novak trying to keep his intestines from spilling from the bolter wound in his stomach, blood and excrement pooling on the floor.

The fallen Marines voice, echoing through the thin corridor in an inhuman voice, really hit home their situation. They were all dead.

"Kill, Kill, KILLLLL!"

* * *

"_This is 5__th__ Platoon, enemy forces are-__*****__BLOOD FOR THE BLOO-__***- **__sition. We need reinforcements immediately. I repeat, enemy forces are overrunning our positions we need-__** *-**__TO THE CORPSE EMPEROR__***-**__cieving me, over!"_

Koslov could only listen to the reports as they filed in. The entire bridge crew was silent in foreboding as they listened to the radio chatter taking place across the ship. It was pandemonium and chaos down there with Imperial Guard Platoon channels being hijacked by the Chaos pirates, sowing fear and confusion among the ranks of the defenders.

"_By the Emperor, this is- *KILL, KILL, KILLLLL*- toon, enemy forces have broken through blast doors. By the *HAHAHAHAHA BLOOD BLOOOOOD BLOOOOOOO-*- Chaos Space Marine leading them, I repeat, gaah! -*KILL, MAIM, BURN, KILL, MAIM*"_

The Captain took a cry gulp as he took in what he was hearing. "Seal off the blast door, order all civilians to seek shelter in the reinforced bunkers!"

His crew nodded and began relaying the messages, all the while they were all painfully aware of the vospex chatter as it echoed across the spacious bridge.

"_Attention Imperial transport, this is- *DIE LIKE THE WORTHLESS-* - Star Dreadnought __**Guardian**__, please respond, I repeat… force me, get me a secure bloody channel right now!"_

"Captain," one of his vospex officers said suddenly, hope shinning in the man's eyes. "That last transmission, it came from outside the ship!"

It took a moment for the Captain to respond, "What?"

"_Do we have a secure chan- *FOR THE DARK-* - yet!"_

Vladimir shot across the console like a madman, grabbing the auspex mic from the stunned officer and shouting through it. "Hello, this is Captain Vladimir Koslov of the Colonial ship _Hand of Salvation, _can you hear me, over!"

It took a moment before the response came, but it came. _"Ah, much better, this is Admiral Joseph Halos of the Alliance Star Dreadnought __**Guardian, **__are you receiving me, over?"_

"Yes, yes, oh thank the Emperor yes," he cried. "We are under heavy assault by Chaos traitor vessels, need immediate assistance, over!" He didn't care who these people were, they could be the damned 'Nids for all he cared, as long as they got those traitorous monsters off his ship.

"_Understood Captain, we will be moving to assist,"_

"When, We need help now!"

The voice seemed to contain a trace of mirth, _"We're here, look above you Captain."_

Koslov looked up through the bubble dome of his ships bridge and dropped the mic in his surprise. Looming over them, enshrouding his bridge with its sheer size was the largest vessel he had ever seen in his life. It was easily the same size as his Colonial ship, and looked a hundred times more deadly. It's sleek, blade shaped hull housed an innumerable amount of weapon batteries, too many to count. In the centre of its dorsal section was a massive hanger, releasing a swarm of craft of all shapes and sizes.

* * *

Squadron Leader Jash Vanner grinned as his modified E-wing starfighter left the bay of the _Guardian_, in the vanguard of a full attack squadron of twelve E-wing Escort Starfighters. Following behind them was at least another five Starfighter and bomber squadrons, from X-wings to K-wings, all aimed for the massive form of the lead pirate vessel.

Two additional bomber squadrons, protected by a squadron of modified TIE Interceptors, streamed in the opposite direction towards the main Frigate, clearing a path for the Troop ships which would be following in their wake. They had the main job. The mission of his wing was to keep the Cruiser's compliment of fighters busy while the _Guardian _pummels her into scrap. Already the hundreds of main Turbolaser batteries were firing at will, harrying the smaller Cruiser and forcing it to retreat.

Already they were coming, large hulking craft which reminded the leader of eagles from ancient worlds, sharp wings extruding from a diamond shaped fighter craft armed with laser cannons and missile tubes. They moved sluggishly, and Jash grinned behind his helm as he saw them move to intercept, "Rapid Leader to Rapid flight, good hunting!"

He received a mass of clicks in response before the fighters and bombers peeled away into their respective squadrons, leaving him and his E-wings to take the pirate fighters head on. "Rapid squadron break, break, break!"

His squadron scattered into duos, each locking onto a target and cutting loose with laser cannon. Evans locked onto one of the sluggish fighters with his laser cannons, set the weapons to full auto, and squeezed the trigger, sending two streams of laser fire into the fighter's cockpit; it sparked and exploded like a firework on Freedom Day.

He broke hard right, laughing like a madman as he swerved around to rejoin the fight. It had been such a long time since he had been in a good dogfight, and many around him agreed. The comm. was heavy with traffic from the men and women of his squadron.

"_Easier than hitting a Krayt dragon in flight!"_

"_It's like shooting Wamprats in a barrel!"_

"_WHOOOWEE I got another one!"_

Vanner barrel rolled, aligning his fighter with the fuselage of another enemy fighter. The craft in turn junked and jinked left and right in a vain attempt to lose his pursuer, but too a seasoned fighter pilot like Jash it was little obstacle. He locked on and released a three second burst from his cannon, peppering the enemy fighter and tearing off its left wing. The ship, trailing acrid black smoke, was sent spinning uncontrollably into the darkness.

A small series of warning beeps got Evans attention, and he looked up. The cockpits sensory systems had picked up a handful of contacts coming right at them, squadron strength. "Keep your eyes peeled lads. Looks like we were dealing with lightweights, here comes the heavy's!"

Twelve sleeker, deadlier looking craft dived into the dogfight, and somehow Vanner knew they were in for a more serious fight. He knew the designs from several mission briefs from the higher brass, Switdeaths were frontline starfighters operated by the legions of Imperial Traitors, known throughout the galaxy as the _Forces of Chaos_. They were fast, manoeuvrable, armed with lascannons and missile launchers.

"Alright Rapids, break off and engage!"

* * *

The cables had been cut, and a trio of K-wings fell upon the stationary Frigate, junking left and right to avoid the point defence lasers before dropping their payload of anti-ship proton torpedoes. The ship, its Gellar fields already down thanks to several bombing runs, took the brunt of the torpedoes, which pierced through its heavy armour and detonated in a series of bright flashes.

One torpedo slammed into the command tower of the escort, and the resultant explosion destroyed the bridge. The Frigate, now crippled began a slow dive into the darkness, acrid smoke trailing from the remains of its bridge tower. A squadron of X-wings followed, peppering her with laser cannon and proton torpedo fire.

"_**Guardian**__ control, this is Gold Leader. Target Frigate and fighter escort has been neutralised, boarding action is a go. I repeat boarding action is a go!"_

"_Copy that Gold Leader, first wave has launched."_

Five LAAT Gunships escaped the gaping hanger of the _Guardian_. Soaring through space towards the forced open hanger bay of the Colonial vessel, a full squadron of TIE Interceptors fell into formation around them, defending the larger, slower Gunships as they reached their destination.

Two Gunships lined themselves up around the hanger entrance, easier large enough for the LAAT'S to enter side by side and still have plenty of room left. A huge cavernous expanse large enough to hold an old _Venator-class _Star Destroyer was what greeted them, and right in the middle of the empty deck were the five Chaos Gunships, protected by several squads of surprised Traitor Guard.

The Gunships hovered for a moment more before releasing torrents of laser fire from the barbet of laser cannons on their noses, streams of crimson fire peppered the rear Gunships, killing at least five Guardsmen and forcing the rest to take cover behind the heavy armour. The other three entered the hanger under their brethrens defensive fire, and landed on the deck, disgorging ninety armoured Alliance Troopers and a single Jedi Master.

Gabriel broke off into a run the moment his foot hit the deck, lightsabre hilt in hand as he charged the recovering Traitor Guard. He ignited his lightsabre with its signature _snap-hiss _and brought the emerald blade into a steep swing, cleaving a Guardsman in two at the waist and stabbing through the heart of another.

By now the Traitors had recovered enough to return fire upon the approaching Alliance Troopers, but another two were felled thanks to the supporting fire from the hovering Gunships. The Boarding Company, finding cover behind fallen over supply crates and wrecked civilian ships returned fire with their blaster rifles. A Trooper fell back, his face a twisted mess of blood and shattered bone. Another took three bolts, one in the chest and another two in the left arm.

Gabriel ducked the butt of a lasgun and vivisected the Guardsman from his heart to the top of his head. He then weaved his blade, deflecting lasfire from another three Traitors, deflecting one back into the chest of the central Guard, a well timed force push sent the other two slamming against the hull of a Gunship, ten meters away, with a bone cracking thud.

Twenty Alliance Troopers rushed past him, forcing the Traitor Guard to withdraw from their defensive positions, retreating through the destroyed blast doors into the corridors and hallways beyond.

The last two Gunships hovered into the hanger and landed on the deck, releasing four elite units of SpecForce Troopers into the hanger bay. Major Falkirk was at their head, hoisting his trusty old DC-15 blaster rifle over his shoulder as he came to a stop before the Jedi. He looked around, taking in the old, rusted Gunships. "These guys don't know how to take care of their ships do they?"

Gabriel shrugged as he deactivated his lightsabre, "Wasn't really paying attention."

He nodded before turning to his men, "Destroy them, I don't want any of these pirates escaping this ship!"

The men and women of SpecForce nodded and went to work immediately, readying thermal detonators and plastic explosives. Gabriel let them work and unconsciously walked up to the open rampway of the lead Gunship. He looked inside, taking in the dim interior, lit by flickering lights. A spark of warning was all he needed, and ignited his lightsabre in time to block a lasbolt.

A single Traitor Guard stepped into the light, holding onto the shorter form of a young woman, laspistol pressed against her temple. The woman, no girl, was caked with dirt; clothes were torn, standing rigid in fear as the Trooper used her as a shield. The Trooper was dressed in scorched dark red armour with black fatigues, no helm, head was shaved, a vicious scar destroyed his right eye and his smile was one of blackened teeth.

"Put the weapon down," he croaked, making motions with his pistol. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to see this pretty little thing with a lasbolt in her head."

He pressed the barrel against her head with more force, making the young woman cringe and whimper. Gabriel glared at him, but closed down his lightsabre and dropped it to the deck. He noticed four Troopers appear just outside of the rampway, but a simple raised hand stopped them in their tracks. "You don't really think you'll be able to escape do you?"

"That's up to you," the Guardsman replied. "I'm going to close this ramp, and pilot this ship out of here."

"And the girl, how do I know you'll release your hostage?"

"You don't," he replied with a sick smile, gripping the girl's neck with his other hand, forcing her to raise her head with a sob. She had shoulder length ash blonde hair and green eyes, barely sixteen years old he guessed. He brought his face to her mane, taking a deep breath of her scent which made the young girl shudder. "Such a pretty thing wouldn't you agree?"

Gabriel was openly glaring at him now. He submerged himself into the force and raised his hand. To the Guard and his captive it looked like the man before them was making ridiculous movements with his hands, but to anyone who had fought a Jedi before this was a warning of what was too come.

The very superstructure of the Gunship began to shake, old rusted bolts popped out of the ships skeletal structure, unbolted equipment rose from their places and slammed against walls, and standing in the middle of it was Gabriel, hand outstretched, eyes glowing unnatural blue in the low light.

"Girl," his voice, imbued with the force gained her attention. She looked at him with rapt attention, eyes showing her fear multiply. "What's your name?"

She gulped dryly, "A-Alana, Alana Varne."

He smiled softly, "Well Alana you can relax, because I'm getting you out of here."

The Traitor laughed, pointing his pistol at Gabriel's head. He spoke, voice barely keeping his fear in check. "And how will you do that, scum."

He pulled the trigger.


	10. Salvation

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Salvation**_

_**Authors Note 1: **_Thank you again everyone for your reviews. I agree with S058, don't worry I will not make the Imperium seem useless, just wait a few chapters to see the proof, and thanks too Amir-015 on tactics for the Alliance to use against the Imperium, exactly what I was going to think off, just needed a second opinion.

_**Authors Note 2: **_As for the small debate on Warhammer Starighters and bombers; thank you all on your opinions, and I would agree with the fact that most Warhammer starfighters would be these bulky ships needing three or more people to pilot. But what I don't get is how some people see that as superior to single piloted Starfighters with an astromech. In my opinion it would be like the Battle of Britain, where bulky German bombers would fight off against agile Spitfires and Hurricanes, anyone who thinks the bigger the better for dogfights it just plain daft, the bigger they are the bigger the target. I will be having single seated Starfighters for this, but how effective they will be is still up for debate.

_**Author's Note 3: **_Star Wars and Warhammer are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story.

* * *

He pulled the trigger, only for the laspistol to explode. The Guardsman cried out in pain, clutching onto the blackened stump which was once his hand, slackening his grip on his hostage. The girl took her chance and threw her head back, impacting against her captor's nose with an audible crack. Gabriel's eyes returned to their usual brandy brown.

"Duck," he shouted, watching as the girl did so, revealing her stumbling attacker to him. Gabriel reached out with his hand, sending the Traitor flying across the hold and through the steel door, whose hinges gave way, into the cockpit with a bone crushing crack.

Gabriel took a deep breath before relaxing his stance, and waving his hand gave the four Troopers permission to enter the Gunship. The four men flew past him and the cowering girl, making sure that the enemy soldier was truly dead.

The girl was curled up against the hull of the ancient vessel, shivering and whimpering. The Jedi looked at her for a brief moment before walking over, his shadow in the dim light causing her to dig her head further against her knees in fright. The poor thing was scared. He noticed her flinch and move further against the hull as he crouched down and offered her a hand.

He smiled reassuringly, "its okay, you're alright. He's not here to hurt you anymore."

She looked up at him, face streaked with shed tears, cutting through the grime on her face. Her piercing green eyes wide in fright seemed to look into his soul. That fear slowly turned to a glimmer of hope, hope that whatever horrors she was forced to endure were over. Timidly she reached out, taking his hand. She was shaking he realised as he carefully pulled her to her feet.

As she straightened he noticed just how dirty and ragged her form was, clothes barely clinging to her slender frame, dirt days old covered her exposed flesh like a second skin. Subtly he made her look up at him and smiled reassuringly. "See, what did I tell you? It's all going to be okay."

She looked at him, hope slowly lighting her once dull eyes, lips trembled, and tears flowed anew. She threw herself into him, embracing him and crying into his tunic. Gabriel, initially surprised, placed his arms around her and held her close, gently whispering assurances into her ear. It was then that he was assaulted by a wave of memories.

He saw exactly what she had been subjected too. She had been raped repeatedly by the Guards, and she had not been the only one. There were the bodies of another two women in the hold, naked with the burn of a lasround in their foreheads, faces etched with all the fear and pain they had felt in death. The Jedi Knights eyes hardened at the scene, before he went back to soothing the child.

He gently forced her to release him, and taking off his cloak threw it around her slender, beaten frame. The girl flinched as the heavy fabric of his robes settled on her shoulders, before looking up to see Gabriel's kind smile. "Come on, let's get you looked at."

Gently he led her out of the gunship and looked around to see a fresh unit of Gunships hit the deck, disgorging another Company of Alliance Troopers into the hanger. Alana looked around, seeing a squad of soldiers jog past, and gripped her saviour's tunic even tighter. Gabriel looked down, seeing the fear in her eyes.

He gave her a reassuring smile before leading her through the throng of arriving Alliance personnel, looking for a medic. He found one, a female Zeltron, fully garbed in a medical uniform, aide kit over a shoulder. He signalled her over, and watched as the girl eyed the approaching woman with wide eyed fear.

"Jedi Sabbath," the young woman greeted, noticing the girl. "What can I do for you?"

He felt her grip tighten again, and looking down he gave her yet another reassuring smile. "It's alright. She's not going to hurt you. She's going to look you over to make sure you're alright." He then looked back at the medic. "I found her in one of the Gunships. Her names Alana and I need you to check her out."

The woman nodded, before smiling softly at the girl. "Hello sweetie, my names Holly, what's yours?"

The girl, scared, looked her in the eyes and timidly replied. "Alana."

Holly reached out and took her hand, leading her from her protector. "She's in good hands Master Sabbath."

"Of that I have no doubt," Gabriel replied, giving her a brave smile before turning around and making his way towards one of the openings. Trusting in the force to guide him to where he would be needed first.

* * *

The firepower of an _Executor-class _Star Dreadnought was nothing to laugh at, with two thousand light Turbolaser cannons, two thousand heavy Turbolaser cannons, all set in groupings of eight, two hundred and fifty heavy Ion cannons, five hundred point defence laser cannons and two hundred and fifty missile tubes it was a behemoth of destruction. That offensive power was showing as its portside weapon batteries continued to pour weapons fire against the withering form of the enemy Cruiser.

The _Slaughter-class _Cruiser was the pinnacle of frontline warships in its day, but the eight kilometre capital-ship was being systematically taken apart by its nineteen kilometre long opponent. Most of its main lance batteries and point defence cannons were nothing more than twisted wrecks, void shielding had fallen, acrid black smoke escaped from several gaping wounds in its already charred armoured hull.

What's more the Star Dreadnoughts launched squadrons of X-wings, E-wings, TIE Interceptors, K-wing bombers and _Skipray _Gunboats had annihilated the Cruisers compliment of Switdeaths, and captured Fury Interceptors. The bigger and slower Chaos craft were no match for the smaller, faster and more manoeuvrable Alliance Starfighters.

"Gold, Viper and Krayt squadrons report that they have successfully crippled the first Frigate and are harrying the last one."

Gabriel looked on from his holotable, watching as the three K-wing squadrons continued to attack the seven hundred meter long Frigate, who was retreating from the skirmish. Point defence lasers firing streams of energy, creating a killing field around the large mobile fortress. Long range fire from the _Guardians _starboard side Turbolaser batteries, continuing to tax the much smaller vessels void shields to the limit.

"Casualties?"

"Five fighters downed, three pilots' dead, two in evac." Halos listened to the report from his chief communications officer. "Red, Green, Blue, Rapid and Vanguard squadrons report annihilating Cruiser fighter squadrons. Nine fighters destroyed, five pilots' successfully evacuated and awaiting rescue."

"Is it safe to scramble rescue operations?"

"I believe so sir,"

"Then scramble them,"

"Yes Admiral,"

A series of bright flashes signalled the loss of the Frigate's void shields, followed by a half dozen torpedoes piercing the armoured hull, destroying layers of armour and weapon batteries with each wave. Acrid smoke and quickly cut off flames rose up from several gaping holes in the escorts superstructure.

"That's two down," Halos muttered, before giving his full attention to the half destroyed Cruiser, still valiantly returning fire with what few weapon batteries still operable. "A few more minutes and we can make it a clean sweep. What news from the boarding force?"

"Our forces have taken the main landing bay with minimal casualties, and are now preparing to clear out the rest of the ship. Three Companies have successfully landed, as well as an additional Company of SpecForce, Master Sabbath and Knight Blue. Enemy response is light to moderate."

* * *

Even though they were under heavy attack by a small unit of well equipped, well trained pirates the men and women of the _Hand of Salvation _had one advantage over their adversaries. The ships blast doors were all hotwired to the vessels bridge, and when a failsafe was activated the ships internal blast doors were activated. Line after line of thick armoured doors closed, cutting off the Traitor Guardsmen and Chaos Space Marines from each other.

This was the third series of blast doors they had moved through, finding and purging disorganised, broken squads of enemy soldiers. Slowly they continued to clear out the Pirates, thankfully suffering minimal casualties from their own side. The only problem was that their opponents didn't know what the term 'surrender' meant. As far as she knew they had lost eighteen men and women in the skirmishes, killing three times as many enemy troopers as they had lost.

Dani jumped over the makeshift defences, azure blade of her lightsabre humming in her hands, and deflected a hail of lasfire as she advanced. The squad of Blood Pact continued to fire streams of lasfire at her, trying to overwhelm her with overwhelming firepower.

Help came in the form of the Troopers advancing with her as they opened fire with crimson lances of blaster fire, downing two Traitor Guardsmen before the young Knight reached them. She sidestepped a thrust from a bayonet and cut him down with a simple stroke, followed by cutting another in two from left waist to right shoulder blade. The last Guard, snarling, fired his lasgun at close range, only for her to deflect it back into his chest at the last moment.

Dani jumped back, breathing heavily from her exertions, beginning to wish she had swallowed her pride and taken the custom armour the techies made for her. Under her Jedi robes was nothing more than a simple crimson corset with skin tight royal blue pants and knee high black boots. No armour to speak off.

Alliance Troopers rushed past her, securing the corridor she had just cleared. Taking a final deep breath she began to advance, slipping out of her heavy robes, revealing bare shoulders which made a few men take a second glance before they came to the next set of blast doors. She took her comlink out and clicked it on, giving a direct link to the _Hand of Salvations _bridge and its commander.

"Captain, we've reached the next set of blast doors," she spoke in her warm, accented and extremely tempting voice. "Please open up the next set."

The com crackled before the accented voice of Captain Koslov filtered through the static, "Understood, Commander Blue, opening blast doors now."

Her troops had created another makeshift line of defences, a three man crew set up an E-web repeating blaster cannon, preparing for whatever was beyond those blast doors. The doors opened with a mechanical whine, revealing a full squad of Blood Pact, hidden behind makeshift barriers of crates, half hidden within curves and side halls.

Standing in the middle of the corridor was what could only be described as a monster in ceramic armour. A giant among men, garbed in nightmarish black armour, customised with razor sharp spikes along the white trim, ram like horns sticking out of the hem and crimson eye visors which reminded Dani of a demon from novels. In his gauntleted hands was a huge weapon, a Storm Bolter, if she remembered.

The marine pulled the trigger before the men on the E-web could fire, releasing a mass of exploding rounds which ripped the three men and the blaster cannon apart. The men, full of gaping holes hit the ground with a series of meaty slaps, blood pouring from their gaping wounds. Lasfire joined the bolter fire, killing an additional two men in one fell sweep.

Dani pressed herself into a side corridor, ears numbed as the Chaos Space Marine continued to pour bolter fire into the corridor. She watched as a Trooper attempted to run, only to be cut down by a hail of lasfire. She couldn't hear the sounds of combat anymore, only a continuous ringing. Within moments half of her platoon had been cut down. Return blaster fire ricocheting harmlessly off its ceramic armour as it advanced through the blast doors and into their corridor.

"Captain," she yelled into the comlink, barely able to hear her own voice over the haze of combat. "Close the blast doors, now!"

She heard the sliding motions of a heavily armoured blast door closing, cutting off the rampaging Chaos Marine from his support. Sadly he didn't seem to notice as he continued to pour bolter fire into the corridor, augmented voice laughing in delight. She heard the cut off cries of Troopers as they were torn to pieces under the highly explosive shells.

The Marine stepped past her side corridor, firing for another few seconds before his heavy Storm Bolter clicked empty. Casually the Marine dropped the smoking weapon, reaching for a bolter strapped to his back. Dani used her chance, igniting her azure lightsabre and exploding from her hiding place. She jumped with a force propelled leap and stabbed her lightsabre through the back of the Chaos Marines neck, piercing through ceramic armour, flesh and bone.

The traitor roared, more in fury than pain, before falling to his knees. Dani cart wheeled over his head, just missing the bolter as the Marine reached back and fired a few rounds over his shoulder. She landed in front of him and with a quick swipe of her lightsabre decapitated her opponent. The helmet, head still within, hit the bulkhead on the other side of the corridor, falling to the ground as the body fell forward.

Panting for breath, Dani tried to ignore the furious smell of ozone and cooked meat, before turning to the last surviviors of her Platoon. Out of a force of twenty men and women they had been whittled down to twelve, a further five were screaming in agony, limbs torn off by the superior weapons fire. The Chaos Marine had done that much damage. She had heard of their deadly power, but seeing it was another thing entirely.

"Contact central, we need reinforcements to corridor thirty nine immediately," she ordered, watching as the Platoon Leader, Sergeant McTavish, relayed the order via his helmets built in comlink.

Looking down at the headless body Dani hoped that there were no more of these warriors to fight. She doubted she'd be lucky a second time.

* * *

Falkirk jumped through the opened blast door, rolling into a side corridor, ignoring the black marks of lasfire in his wake. He pressed his body against the bulkhead, checked his power pack, and leaning around the corner squeezed the trigger of his Clone Wars era DC-15 blaster rifle, downing a Traitor Guard with a well timed shot to the head.

Additional fire flowed from the entrance, his Platoon of elite SpecForce firing at will with their customised weaponry. Precise fire from the elites downed another four enemy Troopers in quick succession. Falkirk watched as the Pirates began a tactical withdrawal in military procedure, men falling back one at a time under the cover fire of those further down the corridor.

He managed to shoot one of the retreating raiders in the back, before grabbing a thermal detonator from his utility belt, thumbing it to a fuse of five seconds and throwing it down the corridor with a yell of 'incoming' to the men and women behind him. The blast destroyed the majority of the corridor, killing an additional three enemy Troopers, who were atomised within its blast radius.

There were only a few more enemy soldiers to kill, then they would have the bridge within their sights, reports from other squads reported light to medium resistance, with a few heavy's in some places from large armoured warriors with huge guns. He hoped they wouldn't run into any of them, wherever there was a so-called 'Chaos Space Marine' casualties went from minimum to extremely heavy. Blaster bolts bounced off their armour, which could only be pierced by heavy weapons fire or a lightsabre to a joint.

The last Guardsmen were picked off by a few well timed shots from his snipers, and thumbing on his comlink he clicked it to the bridges frequency. "Captain Koslov, this is Major Falkirk of Alliance Specforce. Enemy forces eliminated in bridge corridor Bravo, safe to open doors over?"

There was a moment of silence before the reply came through, "Roger that Major, opening blast doors now!"

The blast door opened with a mechanical hiss, and the Major watched as four of his elite SpecForce rushed through the opening with their specialised blaster drawn, checking the immediate area for any trace of an ambush. It was a few seconds later when his second, Lieutenant Elisa Farland, issued the all-clear through the units comlink channel.

He walked through, flanked by two men, to be met with a large expanse; a balcony like observation deck, looking over three additional, larger decks, each sporting a large number of officers, operators and consoles. Standing in the centre of the observation deck was a man outfitted in a navy uniform with crimson trim, and a man in a crimson uniform with a large cap and golden trim.

He walked forward, stopped and saluted in respect to the ships commander. "Sir, I am Major Falkirk, Alliance SpecForce. We are here to escort you and your crew to the evacuation point."

The Captain looked more than happy to reply, but the man in the red dress uniform beat him too it, "What do you mean by Evacuate, Major?"

Falkirk looked the man in the eye, "Exactly what I said sir, you're engines have been neutralised, and your ships ability to defend itself has been eliminated. The only action left to us is to evacuate all personnel to our vessels, where you will be transported to the nearest Imperial world."

"Then I must disagree, Major,"

"I don't believe you have the authority to disagree… what in the name of the Force is your rank?"

"Commissar Fredric Nicolai," the man replied curtly.

"I see," the Major replied with a raised brow. "And I should care because?"

The Commissars frown turned into a growl, "Watch your tongue boy, we of the Commissariat are the enforce discipline and devotion to the Imperial Guard and Navy in the name of the holly Emperor of Mankind."

"I… see," Falkirk frowned at him for a moment. "And for what reason do you disagree with my decision regarding our course of action?"

"This is a vessel of the halloed Imperium of Mankind, under attack by the vile heretics and traitors of Chaos. It needs to be defended no matter the costs." The Commissar snarled, looking unflinchingly into the SpecForce Majors orbs as he spoke. He realised the man didn't even blink.

"So, you are basically saying that the several hundred thousand innocent people here are not nearly as important as this old piece of scrap metal?" The Major replied with nearly as much vehemence, he had starred down the deadliest the Empire and Yuuzhan Vong had too offer, so matching this man's glare was no challenge. "That may be how you see it _Commissar,_ but it is not how I see it. This ship is nothing but a hunk of metal floating in space, what matters to me is the men, women and children aboard. I and my people are going to begin evacuating these persons, and if you want to fight these raiders for this ship then go ahead, be my guest. I wish you luck, but you are not going to sacrifice my people in order to do it."

"Insolent swine," the Commissar roared, drawing his bolt pistol in a smooth motion, only to be on the receiving end of a squads worth of blaster rifles.

"One of you, ten of us," Falkirk replied, holding his ancient Clone Wars era blaster carbine at waist level. "You decide."

The Commissar snarled again, before lowering his gun in defeat. The Major nodded his head before turning back to the startled crew. "All right people, I need the positions of the main civilian strongholds and an advanced warning sent to let them know that our people are coming to their merry rescue, any takers!"

* * *

Marie Saunders held her daughter close, not willing to loosen her gripe on the four year old for a moment as they watched the last blast door between them and the traitors spark from cutting tools. They had been forced to bear the mental torture of listening to the hijacked channels of their old colonial ship as the damned continued to force their way through to them. Soon their last defence would be cast aside, and the true hell would begin.

Marie had been nothing more than a farmer's wife once, married to a good man who had blessed her with a daughter to love, a homestead to live and a moderate few hectares of farmland to call home. Then the Tyranid swarms had invaded their little agricultural world, and they had fled to the capital. Her husband had bartered everything he owned to get them, and only them aboard the ship, while he stayed behind to be consumed by the monsters. His joyful smile that they would survive would be forever etched into her memory, last memory of Alan Saunders, which broke her heart.

Now they would die by a worse way. At least against the Tyranids their death, while brutal, would have only lasted for a few moments. Traitors were rumoured to make their victims suffer before their final demise. Rape, beatings, crucified as standards with their own intestinal tract, these were just a few of the horrified tales told about the traitors of the Imperium.

Marie knew she was a good looking woman, born to the life of farmer's her body was toned and fit, with long chocolate hair, full lips and dark eyes. At only thirty years of age she would be the target to any traitor, and that meant her daughter would be in danger. She looked down at the crying child, and considered for a moment to just kill her now, to spare her the suffering of being these demons plaything, but she knew that she never could.

Instead she kissed the crying child softly on the top of her chocolate haired head, and held her close, closing her eyes tightly and waiting for the inevitable. "There there my sweet Sonya, it's going to be okay. Mommy won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

Her baby girl sobbed as she spoke, "I'm scared, momma."

She shushed her softly, "I know love, but it'll be okay."

She watched with fear as the sparking low snarl of the cutting tools reached a full circle around the door and stopped. Silence dominated the small safe house for a moment before the door fell inward, slamming against the floor with a near deafening thump. A single man walked through, dressed in old Imperial Guard uniform of maroon with black fatigues, only the halloed Aquila of the Imperium of Man was scratched out, replaced by an eight pointed star which sent an involuntary shiver up her spine.

The man himself was dirty and gruff, caked in dirt and blood, with stubble which hadn't been shaved in weeks, a scar ran along his left cheek and his eyes glowed a predatory red in the low light of the stronghold. She knew he was seeing at least three hundred cowering women, children and old men. His gaze settled upon her, and a twisted smile spread across his face which made her shudder in revulsion.

"Yes," he whispered in a sickening tone. "This'll do quite nicely."

Suddenly the silence outside was replaced by shouting and lasfire, followed by explosions and screams. The Guardsmen spun around, drawing his laspistol just as a few more of his fellow traitors rushed into the room, also dressed in the same maroon flak armour with black fatigues. They slammed the door shut, and checked their lasguns.

"We're under attack," one yelled.

"Who," the first asked.

"Don't know, but they tore half of us apart with the first salvo, we need too-" the seconds words were cut short as the door suddenly flew forward through the hole with unnatural force, taking the Guardsman with it. It slammed against the other side of the corridor, and the traitor groggily stood up, only to be cut down again as an emerald blade of light separated his head from his shoulders.

The figure, dressed in a long flowing cloak of dirt brown, hood up to cover his or her features began walking towards the exit, and the two remaining Traitors wasted no time. "Fire, kill the bastard!"

They both raised their lasguns and fired, only for the beams of crimson to be intercepted by the new figures green blade, one flew back, and hitting the third Guard in the chest, making him stumble before a quick stroke cut him from left shoulder to right thigh. The first continued to fire at will with his laspistol, but the new individual jumped high, avoiding his salvo and fell upon him with his energy blade raised high, vivisecting him neatly in half from the crown of his head to his pelvis.

Marie watched, as stunned as the other three hundred in the room as the figure, energy sword casting a dull light, looked upon them and spoke. "You want to live? Then follow us!"

* * *

"The last of the refugees have been successfully evacuated Admiral, updated reports number them as roughly nine hundred thousand, give or take a few hundred."

Halos nodded his head, watching as the last flight of LAAT gunships, escorting a handful of longer hundred and fifteen meter long _Consular-class _Space Cruisers left the gapping hanger bay of the ancient colonial vessel. Dozens of X-wings and E-wings in turn surrounded them, acting as a protective guard against what few pirate fighter craft were left in the immediate vicinity.

The ancient Cruiser was a dead hulk in space, gutted from several direct heavy Turbolaser hits, smoke billowed from its many wounds and the Admiral knew that she would never be able to challenge his Star Dreadnought again. The last threat, the second Frigate, was observed making a retreat from the battle, billowing smoke, bodies and unbolted equipment from several gaping holes in its hull armour.

"The moment those last few transports make dock take us into hyperspace, plot a course for the Scorpios Star System."

"Yes Admiral,"

The Scorpios Star System, roughly twelve light years behind the Eastern Fringe worlds of the Imperium, a small agricultural colony was within the system, population about three hundred thousand, orbital defences light with a small flotilla of warships, ground defences consist of mainly a Division of Planetary Defence Forces and a local Adeptus Arbites presence. Perfect for unloading the nine hundred thousand refugees they had.

"What's the casualty report from the boarders?"

"An estimated twenty five Troopers and three SpecForce officers dead, twelve injured, we got off lucky sir."

Joseph nodded his head, watching as the last Space Cruiser vanished within his flagships main hanger bay, followed by what few scouting squadrons remained. Squadrons of X-wings, E-wings, A-wings, K-wings, TIE Interceptors, Raptors and Defenders trickled into the main hanger bays like a never ending swarm. A few more minutes passed before the small stream of Starfighters and Gunboats ended and his communications officer reported what he had been waiting to hear.

"All squadrons report successful emergency landings, all Transports have landed and are disgorging refugees, sir."

He nodded, "Very well then, take us into hyperspace!"

Halos listened for his navigational officer's affirmative and watched as the hundreds of specks of stars elongated into the seemingly never ending lines of hyperspace. The _Guardian _vanished with a blur, leaving a heavily damaged a Frigate and empty Colonisation vessel floating in the void.

* * *

Gabrielle watched as the landing ramps of the ancient Space Cruisers lowered, disgorging another mass of scared, tired, and hungry people, mostly women and children she realised. They joined the throng of controlled chaos which the main hanger bay had become, nine hundred thousand people being cared for by every medic and doctor on the Star Dreadnought, there were so many that half of the assembled Division of Troopers, original there for security, had to put their own rudimentary first aide skills to the test.

Many of the people looked at the medics with wide eyes, not recognising the uniforms they wore, or even half of the species represented in the Alliance medical corps. At first many were scared, terrified even to see what the Imperium termed as xenos wandering around the mass of hastily placed bedding and medical tents, offering aide to those who needed it.

The young Jedi had a theory that the majority of the Imperium's civilian population didn't know of the wars taking place across the galaxy, nor the mass of enemies that the Imperium was fighting against. Most heard only rumours from retired military officials, and weren't aware of the actual dangers until they were literarily on their doorstep.

She supposed it was the best solution, ninety nine percent of the Imperium of Man living in a state of blissful ignorance, while the higher echelons of society had the advantage, or disadvantage, of knowing the real truth of the matter. There was one small problem with her hypothesis and that was the Imperium's state religion.

There were the priests and cardinals of the Administratum, chanting death to the heretic, the witch and the xeno in that order, brainwashing populations into such a way of thinking; after all how can ten thousand years of toil and death be wrong? All traitors to be shot, all witches put to the torch, all xenos hunted to extinction in the name of the Imperium, the High Lords, the Primarchs, and their Emperor.

But Gabrielle knew that the Imperium wasn't as black and white; supposed rebel traitors who still believed in their Emperor fighting against corrupt tyrants. The supposed evil witches fighting in the ranks of the Imperial armed forces, from the sanctioned Psykers of the Imperial Guard, the Librarians of the Space Marines and the Astronomicon of the Imperial Navy. Then there was the supposed evil of the xeno, even though the armies and navies of this galactic Imperium had fought beside several such races on a number of occasions.

Yes, she guessed the majority of this Empires citizens were blissfully unaware of what was happening on the fringes of their great Empire, other than rumour and supposedly mythical stories. That was why the Admiral had ordered a full Division of Alliance Troopers stationed in this hanger, as well as herself, Rachi and Hossk to make sure no one tried to hurt any of the medics.

Instead the opposite happened, after their initial shock the refugees they had sworn to protect readily accepted the help of the several hundred medics and doctors coming out to greet them. The surprise was still there, the shock was still there but the hatred and bloodlust she was expecting just wasn't there. The people they had saved just seemed to accept it and get on with it.

The majority of surviving Imperial Guard and Naval personnel seemed to accept their terms. The two hundred surviving loyal Guardsmen had handed over their weapons to the Alliance Troopers and allowed the medics, human or otherwise to help those in great need.

She felt a tug on her pants, forcing her from her musings, and looked down to see a child, a toddler on the verge of tears. He was a boy, about two she guessed and with a kind smile she crouched down beside him, ruffling his short brown hair.

"Are you alright little one?"

The child looked into her chocolate eyes, "I-I cawn't find my mawmy."

She giggled at his broken speech, before picking him up in her arms and holding him close. "We'll let's try and find her then, when was the last time you saw her?"

He seemed to think for a moment, and she found him absolutely adorable, she wanted to pinch his little chubby cheek. He made a big gesture with his hands as he spoke. "Um… betwore I got onto dis rwelly big ship."

"What's your name, little one?"

He looked at her again, reaching up with a chubby hand to wipe his teary eyes, "Jake."

She grinned, and it seemed to relax the boy in her arms. "Well Jake, I'm Gabrielle, but you can call me Gab. Let's go find your mom."

"Gabrielle," the young Jedi turned around to see one of her two superiors walk calmly towards her. Rachi was dressed in a basic medical uniform with all of the satchels and medbag under her arm, but no insignia. Her lightsabre hilt clipped to her utility belt as she came along beside her. "Good thing I found you, there's a problem in sector seven, someone who calls himself a Commissar or some dribble like that."

Her speech was halted as she looked down to the lost child in her arms, who in turn was looking up at her with eyes as wide as dinner plates, "Who is this?"

Gabrielle smiled serenely, "Just a child who lost his mom, I'm trying to help him."

Rachi tilted her head to the side, letting her right lekku fall from her neck, the appendage caught the child's attention and he began to fidget in Gabrielle's arms. Gabrielle, not beyond a bit of fun held him out to the elder Jedi Master. "I think he's taken a liking to you master, why don't you help him and I'll take care of this Commissar."

Rachi, oblivious to her right lekku, shrugged as she took him, "Sure, but I don't see why-"

She was stopped when little Jake reached up and began to place his palms on her cheeks, completely taking in his new babysitters face. Rachi tilted her head again as Gabrielle slipped away, a soft smile gracing her lips as she began to carefully rock the toddler in her arms, that is until he got close enough to her exposed lekku, and grabbing a hold gave it a sharp tug. "Ouch!"

Gabrielle giggled as she strode away, listening as the Twi'lek Jedi Master softly scold the boy before her voice became lost in the crowd. Out of all of them it was Rachi who was the most gifted when it came to soothing children, especially younger children. It was a gift Grand Master Skywalker picked up upon after her post-dramatic stress treatment, that she was a natural with younglings. Gabrielle considered she would make a great mother someday, if she ever found someone that is.

With a deep breath she schooled her features as she moved through the crowd, ignoring the few curious glances she got as she made her way to the place Rachi had placed in her mind. Once she got there she resisted the urge to reach for her lightsabre. The Commissar had obviously ignored the suggestion to hand all weapons over to security and was pointing a bulky looking pistol at the head of a terrified Calamari field medic.

Sighing Gabrielle reached out with her hand, relieving the Commissar of his pistol, which flew over to her grasp. She looked at the thing for a moment, knowing that it would have blown the poor medics head off his shoulders before settling a glare upon the snarling man who wielding it. "That's enough of that, wouldn't you agree?"

The man's snarl went more feral as he looked upon the young Knight, "You insolent swine, the Emperor would scorn you for protecting these foul xeno scums!"

Gabrielle's glare intensified, and with a wave of her hand sent the Commissar sprawling to the floor with a weak force push. The man, completely disorientated, wasn't aware of her presence until she ignited her lightsabre and held the violet blade an inch from his throat, leaving the slightest blackened burns against his neck. "I would watch my mouth if I were you _Commissar,_ you are here by our good graces and killing us would mean a one way trip out of an airlock, do you understand!"

Three Alliance Troopers arrived; levelling blaster rifles at the man's head should he be stubborn enough not to comply. Most of the refugees surrounding the incident seemed to ignore him, two of whom helped the Calamari medic to his feet and guided him to another victim. The man glared into Gabrielle's unyielding orbs, before nodding his head in defeat.

"Good, now kindly sit there and shut up while another medic has a look at you, should you threaten his or her life I will not be so charitable," she closed down her lightsabre and walked away, leaving the Commissar to get back up on his own.

* * *

"Any problems," Halos asked from his place in the centre of the main pavilion, watching as his main crew worked at their assorted tasks. The main communications officer looked at him before shaking her head.

"None sir, there were a few incidents but Jedi Knights Sitra, Korr, Sabbath and Trey'lis took care of it before it got out of control."

"Excellent," Joseph nodded, before regaining his attention with the streaming lights of passing by stars. This seemed to stay that way for a while, a moment of peaceful seclusion before Captain Sor'ai Flore strode over to him and saluted. "What is it, Sor'aoi?"

She hesitated for a moment before she spoke, "A group of people from the refugees wish to speak to you, something important they said."

He eyed her for a moment, before nodding his head, "Allow them up, keep a squad of Troopers on them just in case."

She nodded before turning on her heel and walking down the corridor, a few moments passed before the small group of people were allowed into the main walkway of the command deck. Two men and a single woman, all of them were human, not surprising, and all of them were in their elder years, between fifty and sixty he guessed by their weathered features and greying hair. Sor'ai stepped forward, and they looked at her with a mixture of interest and fear as she spoke for them.

"Admiral Joseph Halos, I introduce to you Governor Fern Khrushchev, along with aides Harry Winchester and husband Lenard Khrushchev." She introduced with professionalism and tact.

Joseph nodded, "Thank you Sor'ai, now back to your tasks with you."

She nodded before turning on her heel and walking back towards the main pavilion, Joseph remained, fixing his guests with a disarming smile. "Do not let her frighten you my friends, as far as Commanders go Sor'ai Flore is considerably more open minded than most, now what can I do for you!"

Fern Khrushchev came forward a few steps, stopped, and bowed before him. "Sir, I was once the Governor of Dasios III, and I would like to speak to you on behalf of every civilian aboard the _Hand of Salvation_. You came to our need in the direst circumstances and we would like to ask you to take us in. We are mainly farmers, but we are also a hardy folk, and smart enough to learn whatever you need us to learn to become useful."

Joseph was taken slightly aback by the spectacle, not that he let it show. "I appreciate the offer, my lady, but surely the life of an outlaw is not for the likes of innocent people, particularly women, children and old men."

"Then you obviously do not know us sir," she replied. "The Imperium had all but abandoned us and in our time of need you have come to aide us. We would rather throw our lot in with you and your crew, xeno or otherwise, instead of an Imperium who conveniently forgot we existed in our moment of greatest need."

Halos looked at the three weathered individuals for a moment, before sighing. "We have recently found a planet, outside of Imperial control for our needs. The only problem is our foodstuffs and water supplies. The majority of our people are skilled pilots and soldiers, but very few farmers. Will you be able to assist us in this?"

Fern nodded her white haired head, "Of course Admiral."

"In return you will have claim to whatever land you settle, within a reasonable choice of land of course, and so long as you continue to supply my fleet with the food and water it needs you will have our protection and sufficient food for yourselves; Just one thing."

"What is that?"

"Don't call my people xenos, their races all have names and they have individual names of their own. I am not asking you to remember every name within the fleet, just give them the respect they deserve as fellow Sentient Beings, is that fine?"

She bowed low and deep, "That is fine Admiral, we are at your service."

* * *

He was sitting at his desk, reading the latest Intel reports from across the sector before his Interrogator entered the room with yet another intelligence report. The Inquisitor raised his head ever so slightly, showing his piercing blue eyes from under his dark hood. "Leave it there!"

Grand smiled as he continued to stride up to his boss, ignoring the small place he had set aside for such reports. Instead the Interrogator stood before his mahogany desk and promptly dropped the file. The Inquisitor looked up with a murderous glare, which his apprentice deftly shrugged off.

"This one will get your attention sir, I guarantee it." Grand said as way of description, before taking a long step away from the desk and allowing his master to pick up the file. Tearing off the paper seal before opening it to read, his eyes widened after a few moments of sorting through the usual drabble. His apprentice decided to fill in the details.

"This sighting was barely a week ago, in the heavily contested Kronus Star System," Earnest Grant reported in a military tone. "According to reports a single warship has been found which matches the description of the ships we are searching for, found and commandeered by the Tau, right in the middle of their fleet."

It had been nearly six months since the first reports on these new ships began flooding in, and the Inquisitor had heard many since then. Between the incidents on Anglo Prime until now he had heard hundreds of reports, and of those only a few were truly trustworthy. They spoke of ships on the Eastern Fringe, randomly appearing and protecting refugee fleets along the border from the incursions of Tyranid Splinter Fleets, Dark Eldar Raiders and Chaos Pirate Flotillas. These people were gaining a hero worship from the peoples of the edge as protectors, saviours and friends.

It had to be stopped, before the damage became too much to repair.

"Assemble the full fleet," he ordered simply, continuing to read the file. Silvermaine would be arriving within a few weeks, and he needed some sort of advantage over the Ordo Xenos Lord Inquisitor before then. This was right what he needed, "Looks like we're going to Kronus."


	11. Before the Storm

_**Chapter 10**_

_**Before the Storm**_

_**Author's Note 1: **_Star Wars and Warhammer are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story.

_**Author's Note 2: **_Hello again everyone. Sorry this update took so long, but a lot of things have been happening to me lately. Mainly that I have started my final semester at University and a lot of my time and resources are going to the mass of coursework flying out, not to mention a several thousand word long dissertation, updates on all of my stories will be considerably slow until at least May or June.

* * *

With a flash of light the _Guardian _returned to real-space, main com systems already broadcasting the necessary codes to stand down the response squadrons. In front of her was the green and blue orb of their new fortress amongst the stars, the uncharted world of Haven. Already the Star Destroyers _Defender _and _Liberty _had rerouted their courses from their regular patrol route to flank the much larger flagship as she lumbered into high orbit.

From the bridge Joseph Halos looked down upon their temporary home, mentally going through the list of objectives which had been met since their arrival. They had come so far in the few months since they had found this system, but they still had a very long way to go.

The fleet had already set up two Tabanna gas siphoning platforms in low orbit around the neighbouring gas giant, which were utilising their automated systems to siphon the precious gases from the thick clouds in the planet's atmosphere. According to the good doctor they would be able to build an additional three when they had mined enough resources and precious metals from the systems asteroid belt.

A small space station had been built and deployed right in the middle of the belt, with automated laser and light turbolaser cannons to protect her from any asteroids that were on a collision course. The small station had a small crew of a hundred and fifty, with a dozen small mining vessels designed to mine the asteroids for precious metals and other plausible construction materials.

On the planet itself work was already progressing on building a settlement with the portable base as its centre. His officers on the ground assured him that, with the proper time and manpower the settlement could become a real boon for his fleet, able to manufacture anything they needed from food to weapons. Already enough housing and amenities had been built for between fifty and a hundred thousand people, with more on the way.

The system had become theirs; this was their home away from home. But this was not where it was going to end. Halos had no plans to simply throw away his ships and starting a new life on a planet, hoping that no one would come to wipe them out. If he and his people were to survive then they needed to get stronger. They needed a bigger population; they needed more ships for defence and more ability for infrastructure.

That was why he had decided to help the peoples of the surrounding systems. He had studied the Imperium of Mankind from reports from his SpecOps Division, who had seeded agents into every inhabited world for several light-years. Through this network he and his intelligence division learned firsthand what the main power in the galaxy was like, and the data given to him by his Eldar associates seemed to be correct.

The Imperium of Man wasn't anything like the Galactic Alliance, or even the Galactic Empire. The Imperium of Mankind was a dystopian empire with a rigid social structure. Its member worlds were only loosely held together with the central nerve centre, Terra. Technology was slowly becoming a myth, almost a religious institution in and of itself, and extreme persecution of those who questioned the morality or validity of the endless conflicts and divine rule of the Emperor was punished without mercy or hesitation.

They had no Holonet, nor any other way for quick communication, meaning that emergency maydays may take weeks or even months to reach the proper authorities and by then the planet or system or sector could be already under enemy control. Faster-than-light travel was unpredictable and dangerous to those who choose to risk it. What was worse was the number of enemies the Imperium faced, Ork warbands, Tyranid splinter fleets and Chaos pirates who pillaged, plundered or downright destroyed any lightly fortified settlement worlds along the fringe.

These people were dying, they were suffering, and they needed help. Help was what he gave them. He could not commit his fleet to a full defensive action against the invaders, that would lead to their imminent destruction, so instead he assembled his fleet to save as many people as possible, evacuate them from their besieged worlds, protect their refugee shipping and destroying as many enemy patrols as safely possible.

The refugees from the _Hand of Salvation _were only the most recent in a string of saved refugee populations, albeit the biggest in terms of population. Since they began operations in the region they had successfully protected nine refugee fleets, and gained the secretive and subtle support of another dozen surrounding planets with whom they had offered assistance.

Of these refugee fleets and evacuated populations over three hundred thousand people had flooded under their banner, seeing the superior technology and goodwill of the Alliance as a far-cry from the Imperium of Man. The influx of new recruits was almost too much for them to take, if not for the fact that most people had come from backgrounds of work and labour, and as such a mass of men and women had volunteered to help build settlements, outposts and farming communities on the planet.

They were ahead of schedule, which astounded the Admiral.

Then there were the mass of people who volunteered for positions within the fleet and army, around a tenth of their new population had volunteered for service in the Alliance armed forces, being trained as Troopers, Marines, Pilots, and even a handful had been accepted to SpecOps and SpecForce. The losses the fleet had suffered had been repaid.

"Admiral,"

He turned to see Gabriel walking up the walkway to him, a small datapad held in his hand. Halos waited until his friend was standing beside him before he spoke. "Yes Gabriel, what is it?"

"Medical tests, and some interesting results with our latest batch of new recruits," Gabriel replied as he handed the Admiral his datapad. "You know the basic format of medical exams within the GFFA, right?"

"Indeed I do," Joseph replied as he screened over the information, two had been flagged. "Each person is given a full medical evaluation including blood work, physical and mental health."

"And a small test to check the Midichlorian count within a patient." Gabriel added.

Joseph nodded. It was a fairly new development, introduced at the behest of the New Jedi Order after the Yuuzhan Vong War, but when a full medical was deemed necessary a Midichlorian count was one of the lesser tests which were applied. It was nothing special; a prick of the patient's blood was inputted into a specialised datapad, where the patient's force-sensitivity was checked.

He read the names of the two patients, both women, Alana Varne and Marie Saunders. Alana was a teenager, sixteen years old, daughter to a PDF Colonel and an Imperial Guard Lieutenant. Marie was a farmer's wife, mother of one and thirty standard years of age. Both looked like ordinary women, but the Midichlorian count proved otherwise. Marie had a count of twelve thousand, while Alana had a count of sixteen thousand, making both of them quite power force-sensitive beings, well above the norm in force-sensitivity.

He had read of Midichlorians when he was younger, more out of curiosity than anything else. The number needed to be even considered for training was roughly seven thousand, and the number of an average Jedi was around ten thousand, anything of twelve thousand and above was considered quite special among the ranks of the Old Order.

Gabriel had shared with him that his and his sisters Midichlorian count was roughly thirteen thousand each, and the Grand Jedi Masters, who was one of the most powerful living Jedi to date, had a count of roughly around twenty thousand. Basically at such a level they could drag capital-ships from orbit and fight at odds of roughly a hundred to one.

But one thing worried him.

"It says here that Varne has suffered through considerable mental and physical trauma, and was forced to watch her mother being raped and murdered by the same band." Halos pointed out as he scrolled down the information. "Her mental exam suggests that she is suffering from post traumatic stress."

"I am hoping that giving her something to do will help her in her recovery," Gabriel replied sadly. "There are people within the Jedi who may be able to help her, Master Sitra has suffered similarly."

"So do you want me to conscript these two into becoming Jedi?"

He frowned, "You know that's not how we do things."

He was right. During the time of the Galactic Republic the Jedi Order was known for taking force-sensitive children from their homes, no matter the wealth or influence of the family. It had been a controversial argument at the time, and was one of the main reasons for the order of old being ostracised from the common people.

The New Jedi Order operated on very different principles, potential recruits joined because they wanted too, and their parents were more than welcome to come with them so long as they had a skill which would be beneficial. The old ways of 'no attachments' and 'no family' had died with the old Order, and Jedi of the resurrected Order were actually encouraged to live life like any normal person, explore, fall in love, raise a family. It was one of the secrets to the new Orders success.

"So you want to ask them to volunteer?"

"That's the plan." Gabriel replied. "We're short on numbers out here, plus with their Midichlorian count they will need to be taken in for training to harness and control it."

"If you can get them to volunteer then I won't have a problem with it,"

"Thank you, Admiral."

* * *

Gabrielle and Jaden were waiting for him outside of the entrance of the medical bay, Gabrielle leaning against the wall with her arms folded while Jaden stood a few feet away. Gabriel nodded briefly to the two of them before taking a peek through the closed glass double doors which led to the main medical centres of the Star Dreadnought.

"Are the two of them in there?" Gabriel asked.

Jaden nodded his head, "Marie Saunders and her daughter were released with a clean bill of health. Alana Varne is a different case. According to the medical reports she suffered considerable trauma, and is being kept overnight for observation."

"She's sleeping right now," Gabrielle added. "Poor thing was exhausted."

The Master of the group nodded his head, "Should we go in?"

"Now or never," Gabrielle stated simply as she straightened herself and walked towards the double doors, which opened automatically to allow her entrance. Gabriel and Jaden looked at each other before shrugging and following their female compatriot into the room.

The main medical bay was a hive of activity, wounded Troopers and civilians were being tended to by the facilities faculty of medics, nurses and doctors. There were so many people in need of help that the medics were being swamped, so they had asked for volunteers among the military. Gabriel could see men and women in Trooper and Pilot uniform aiding the medical teams. He knew that Hossk and Dani were in here somewhere, giving aide in any way that they could.

He walked through the crowd, seeing some wounded lying on stretchers and sitting in chairs because there weren't enough beds to go around. Most of the patients weren't even wounded, but were plagued with conditions like malnutrition and dehydration because their ships supplies of food and water had run out a week before they found them.

Finally the Jedi reached the bed assigned to Varne, curtains were drawn to give the occupants some privacy from the controlled chaos around them. Gabriel was just able to make out the shadows of three people before he pulled back the curtain and entered. Alana was sitting in her bed, kept upright by thick pillows. She looked pale and exhausted; eyes were dim and almost lifeless. Marie was sitting at her bedside, talking to the younger girl while her four year old daughter was fast asleep on her lap.

Both women looked up as the three Jedi entered and were surprised when the three of them adopted basic Jedi introductions and bowed their heads. "I apologise for intruding, but I was wondering if we could talk to the two of you."

Alana perked up upon hearing his voice, and looked up with a sad smile. "I know your voice; you're the one who saved me."

Gabriel smiled softly, "I'm happy you remember me. My name is Gabriel Sabbath. This is my sister Gabrielle and Jaden Korr. May we sit down?"

Alana nodded, motioning to a couple of empty chairs against the wall, "Please do."

The three Jedi quickly took their seats. "I take it your name is Alana Varne, and you are Marie Saunders, correct?"

Both girls nodded, and Marie spoke for them. "That's right."

"Awe," Gabrielle said as she saw Sonya, still sound asleep. "Is this your little girl?"

Marie nodded.

"She's so adorable," his twin whispered. "What's her name?"

"Sonya," Marie answered with a soft smile.

"Gabrielle, don't coddle," Gabriel chided half heartedly. "Let the little one sleep. We need to speak with you two. As you know we give each civilian who enters the fleet a full medical including physical and mental examinations, but there is another test we give you, which is called a Midichlorian test."

Jaden took over for Gabriel, "It's not that different from your run-of-the-mill blood test, you should remember it. We take a drop of your blood and place it in a specialised datapad for analysis, through this we determine how many Midichlorian's one possesses."

"Excuse me," Marie asks with a frown. "But what are Midichlorians?"

Gabrielle answered, "Midichlorians are intelligent microscopic life forms that live symbiotically inside the cells of all living things. All living beings possess them at some level, and if they exist in sufficient numbers within a person then they would be considered force-sensitive, capable of incredible psychic feats. That is what we Jedi are, we are an order of psychic beings, monks and warriors who strive to use our gifts to help protect those around us."

Marie frowned, "So you're Psychers?"

"Not exactly," Gabriel replied. "As far as we are able to gather Psychers are people who have a connection with an alternate reality known as the Immaterium, and use their powers at the risk of their very souls. Is that about right?"

Marie nodded.

"A force-sensitive gains his or her power not from an alternate dimension, but by the living environment around them. We have the abilities to lift objects with our mind, bend the elements to our will and sense almost every living organism of what you would call the Material realm," Gabriel continued. "For example."

He reached out with his hand and made a simple motion, levitating the chair Marie and Sonya were sitting in by a meter. With a mischievous smile he then rotated it in a perfect three hundred and sixty degree angle before depositing it and its one awake, now pale occupant back down to the metal decking. "That is just a basic of what we are able to do, and it is just one of many things you can learn if you accept our offer of training."

Gabrielle turned to her brother and frowned, "You didn't need to scare the poor woman."

Gabriel shrugged in return, "Why spent an hour trying to explain it when you can spend a minute showing them, saves time."

"So we are both capable of using this force?" Alana spoke up, knees brought up to her chest.

"With the proper training and guidance, which is what we are offering," Gabriel answered with a soft smile. "But let me be clear, we are not going to force you into anything you don't want to do. You are well within your rights to turn our offer down and return to your normal lives."

Marie was silent, but Alana took over the reins. "What about daemonic possession, or backlash."

"There are no daemonic entities inhabiting the force, it isn't an alternate dimension. The only dangers are with a person's own emotions. If you allow your desires of hatred, revenge, greed, fear or power to control you then you will find the lure of the force to much. As for backlash, well it depends on how strong one is with the force."

Both were silent for the longest moment, debating in their minds on the next course of action to take. Alana was the first to speak. "I'll do it, I'll join."

Gabriel looked her in the eyes, "If you are accepting our offer because of a need for revenge or to gain the powers to destroy then we cannot help you."

She shook her head, flailing her mane of blonde locks. "That's not it. I'm joining to do for others what you did for me. You saved my life Gabriel Sabbath, and that's what I want to become. I want to be able to protect others, to stop the forces of Chaos from defiling another life, plus I have nothing left, I need to start anew and with you is better than with no one at all."

Marie was silent for a moment longer before lowering her head, "If I take up your offer, allow you to train me in becoming a Jedi, then will I be able to protect those precious to me, will I be able to protect my daughter, to never again feel as useless as I felt when the Tyranids were falling from the skies?"

"To take up our training to protect is what we ask for. If you take up the training, and become a Jedi then you will be able to protect those that you hold dear." Jaden answered. "But the training is long, and can be challenging. There will be times when you will be separated from your daughter, where your duties as a Jedi will take you to far off worlds. Can you do that?"

Marie nodded, "If it means I can protect my daughter then yes."

Gabriel smiled before rising, "Then welcome to the Jedi Knights. Sleeping quarters have been set out for the two of you, Gabrielle will take you too them when you are both feeling able. Get a good night's rest, because by tomorrow morning you will be given a Master and you're training will begin." He looked down at Alana with a soft smile. "Are you well enough to travel, or will we come get you here?"

Alana shook her head, "I think they want to keep me here overnight."

"Very well,"

* * *

"We have a contact at the edge of the system,"

Halos almost dropped his cup of Caf as he spun around, hitting a few runes on his holotable. A holographic image of the section flickered to existence, showing one of the outer planets in the system, the second furthest one out from the sun. A single blip appeared in the centre, basic information on length, width, energy discharge and trajectory scrolling down from the left side.

"Scramble outer scouting squadrons," he ordered. "Contact the nearest Star Destroyer and order them to plot an intercept course, which is out there?"

"Captain Verge and the _Dauntless_,"

"Send the word!"

"_Asteroid One _reports launching scouting unit _B-77_, designation _Shadow Wolves_." His communications officer shouted. "Five minutes till interception."

_Asteroid One _was exactly what its name suggested. A huge kilometre long mass of rock situated at the edge of the asteroid belt, hollowed out by construction droids and converted into a makeshift sensor and launch station, with a population of a hundred scientists and security, as well as a scouting squadron of eight X-Wings and two Blastboats.

"Take us to yellow alert," Joseph ordered before turning to Sor'ai. "And send word to the rest of the fleet to assemble around Haven, basic defence pattern Dodonna-7."

"We have word from advanced scouts," his communications officer called out. "Unknown vessel has spotted them and are honing in on their position, awaiting orders."

"Wait until they're within range," Halos ordered. "If they prove hostile then they may engage with extreme prejudice."

* * *

"Wolf_ Leader this is _Guardian_ control. If unknown contacts prove hostile then engage with extreme prejudice, over."_

"Copy that control," _Shadow Wolf 1_, also known as Lieutenant Shanti Delvin replied, hitting a few runes on her dash to bring up her X-wings long range sensors to the frontal viewscreen. "Will have long range visual contact within twenty seconds, all Wolves lock S-foils in attack positions."

She flicked a switch and heard the low whine of her snubfighters wings as they parted, bringing online her ships laser cannons and proton torpedo launchers. The change from speed to battle slowed her vessel down to half of its speed beforehand; however it gave her enough firepower to make up for the change.

The three X-wings surrounding her followed her decision, setting their S-foils into attack position and assembling into a diamond formation with her at the front. The fifth vessel in the formation, the larger, streamlined _Skipray _Blastboat moved a little ahead of its smaller escort, using its stronger shields and numerically superior weapons to protect the X-wings from any opening barrage.

"Unknown target within range of long range sensors,"

"Do you have visual?"

"Yes Commander."

* * *

"Patch it through to _Guardian Control."_

"Yes Commander."

"Admiral we're getting visuals."

Halos looked at his main sensory officer with a nod, "Put it on the main holotable."

"Aye sir."

Halos leaned against the holotable, well aware of Sor'ai and a few senior officers waiting for the images to flow through. It was a small picket, the same design as the one they ran into when they entered this galaxy. Sleek and elegant in design it's colour patterns were different from the bone white and lush green of Farseer Macha's Destroyer, instead the colour scheme of this ship was bleached white and black.

"Unknown vessel identified as a _Hemlock-class _Destroyer, light picket and recon vessel under use of the Eldar Craftworlds, by colour scheme and symbols I would say it belongs to the Craftworld of Ulthwe."

Halos didn't respond as his sensory officer reported the information. He had already memorised the vessels in service to the Eldar, as well as those known to be under the control of the Imperium of Mankind and a few other, smaller nations of the eastern fringe. _Why are you here? _He thought to himself before turning to Sor'ai. "Hail them and ask for their intentions."

Before his communications officer could finish dialing in the hailing frequencies a holographic image flickered to life right in front of the Admiral, like a mirage only seen in a desert. The image flickered for several seconds before stabilising, revealing an Eldar male fully garbed in wraithbone armour of black and white, armoured helm held under his right arm to show a sharp featured, pale skinned face with a shaved head, hair done up in a topknot and eyes a piercing crimson.

"_Admiral Halos," _the Eldar male spoke, voice slightly distorted and image flickering. _"I am Warlock Asima of the Ulthwe Craftworld. I am guessing that our Biel-Tan cousins have told you of us?"_

"Indeed they have Warlock," Halos replied with a nod. "Couldn't you have used the communications to make your arrival known? We almost blew you out of the sky."

"_Something we will have to remember then Admiral." The Warlock tilted his head to the side for a moment before continuing. "Around three standard months ago you asked Farseer Macha of Biel-Tan to keep an eye out for any vessels which match the description of your own, correct?"_

"Do you have news on one of our ships?"

The Eldar nodded his head, several images appearing around him as he did so. Halos scanned these images carefully and immediately recognised the close ups of a Star Destroyer, four large dome shaped bulges on its hull distinguishing the vessel as an _Interdictor-class _and that could only mean one thing.

"That's the _Bulwark_."

* * *

"Are we positive that it's the _Bulwark_?" Rosso asked as her own holographic image flickered, unlike the Eldar equivalent which gave full colour and movement, almost as if you were talking to the actual being on the other end, the Alliance technology was at least a few generations behind with the figures of the Advisory council appearing in shades of blues and greys.

"Without a doubt," Halos replied. "I have double checked the information, and the Eldar haven't led us astray before."

"That was with the Biel-Tan faction Admiral," Lissana pointed out with a frown. "From what little we know each faction of these Craftworld Eldar are diverse and have different values. What's stopping them from removing us as a potential threat?"

"Good point," the Admiral conceded. "But we have taken precautions. A half dozen probe droids retrofitted with the latest stealth technology have been dispatched to verify the information. Once we receive word back then we will know whether these Ulthwe were lying to us or not."

Gabriel raised his brow, "How did the Ulthwe representative take it?"

"He shrugged and conceded,"

"Which means he's not lying," Mathews frowned as he leaned forward, smoking one of his customary Kuati cigars.

Silence fell across the council for a few moments before Rosso spoke, "Where is the _Bulwark _supposed to be?"

"On a planet called Kronus, located in a star system right on the line between the Tau Empire and the Imperium," Halos answered. "From what we can tell it is a heavily contested area with Tau, Imperial, Eldar, traitor and Ork forces vying for it."

"Heavily contested?" Lissana asked. "How badly contested?"

"From what little information we know of the Tau and Imperim are engaged in heavy fleet activity in the system, and there is heavy fighting taking place on the planet itself." Halos answered without pause. "From what the first reports gleamed there are at least five or six different factions vying for control."

"Would the Eldar presence in the Kronus system be Ulthwe?"

"It is, which makes me think they want our help in exchange for finding and helping to retrieve the _Bulwark_." Halos said with a frown.

"Have they said as much?"

"No, but it's too much of a coincidence for them to just return her to us without asking for something in return."

Silence once again prevailed in the small meeting room, and it was some time before the Admiral noticed that out of his advisors Gabriel had contributed least to the conversation. The Jedi Master was leaning back in his chair, frowning and deep in thought, "Something on your mind, Master Sabbath?"

Gabriel gave him a wry look, "I haven't said anything."

"Exactly," Halos replied. "Your silence is thunderous."

Gabriel sighed, "It just doesn't seem right, why are the Eldar there?"

"To conquer the planet," the Specforce Colonel conveyed.

"No, doesn't sound right," Gabriel replied as he leaned forward. "The Eldar have become a space-faring race, living in their Craftworlds, their mobile fortresses. Why would they launch an invasion on this particular planet, in the middle of a warzone, far away from their bases of operations? For all intents and purposes there is no real reason for them to be there, so that asks the question of why. Why are they there?"

The room was silent for a moment before Halos answered the Jedi Masters rhetorical question. "Well said, it's something we don't know about."

"The Eldar are a race that, in my opinion, doesn't do anything without good reason," Gabriel was looking up at the ceiling of the small meeting chamber. "They wouldn't move a sizable force into a system, far away from their homes, with no real threat against them, without a very good reason."

"So are you saying we should help them?"

"Not at all," Gabriel replied to the Professors question. "I'm simply suggesting that we take a longer look."

"Either way we have to secure the _Bulwark _and get her out of there." Rosso intervened, "if they have that ship then they get all of our technologies, and that would take away all of our advantages."

"I agree," Colonel Mathews nodded his head as he spoke, stamping out his cigar on a nearby ashtray. "We cannot afford to give potential enemy states anything which would give them an advantage. If the Imperium gained our Hyperspace engines, or our Holonet, Turbolaser and shielding technology then all of our advantages would be thrust out the window."

"Then we're in agreement," Halos stood up, followed by the other members of the council. "We have to retrieve the _Bulwark._ The _Guardian _will be assigned to this operation, and I need three Captains to volunteer their ships as escorts."

Rosso smiled ruefully at him, "Hoping that the size of our trump card will scare away the competition."

"It's bigger than anything the enemy has in the system."

"That's assuming if the Eldar's intel is trustworthy." Mathews reminded.

"It has to be," Gabriel replied. "They want our help with something in exchange, and in order to get that help they need our ships and the soldiers within.


	12. Kronus

_**Chapter 11**_

_**Kronus**_

They had heard that Kronus was a warzone, but nothing could really prepare them for seeing the actual event, even if it was through the scanners of a half dozen probe droids. Halos watched on, Sor'ai, Sabbath and a handful of senior officers surrounding the main holoprojector as it relayed the information to them. The security foyer was silent as they saw the sheer number of skirmishes taking place in the system, mainly around the only habitable planet.

"Recon probes predict nearly five hundred vessels of different shapes and sizes in deep to shallow orbit around the planet, as well as three times that number scattered across the system," he heard Flore report. "Not sure yet who belongs to who."

"What is the position of the _Bulwark_?" Halos asked, as professional as he usual was when in command.

"The Star Destroyer is positioned in deep orbit, surrounded by a squadrons worth of midlevel capital-ships, light cruisers maybe." The scanning officer frowned as he read through the mass of information still coming in.

Joseph frowned as he too scanned the information, looking for a suitable entry point without being put at the mercy of a squadrons worth of warships. Finally he pointed to a section of space, two thousand kilometres from the orbit and fairly clear of any hostile elements. "We'll go in here, contact the _Bulwark _and see if we can free her."

"The Tau haven't destroyed her yet, and it appears by the scans that she is sending out aide. At least a half dozen shuttles have left her hanger since the probes found her, and it appears fighter and bomber squadrons have been launching and landing as well."

"Meaning that she is helping them," Halos surmised before turning to Flore. For a moment the Admiral wondered why Captain Glacius knew the rules when it came to first contacts, for him to side with one of the factions in the system meant that something must have happened. "Go to level two alert. Prepare first wave fighter and bomber squadrons for emergency launch. We're going in."

She nodded her head before barking out the orders. Halos turned back to the hologram, once again studying the map of the system. It wasn't perfect but he knew that if he was too successfully enter the system that spot was the best place. "Take us in, Captain Flore."

"Yes, Admiral!"

The Hyperdrives spooled up beneath their feet as the four ship flotilla vanished into hyperspace, only to reappear a few seconds later exactly where the Admiral wanted them to be. Halos took a deep breath before turning to the communications officer at the other side of the foyer. "Open fleet channel and hail the _Bulwark_. Let's see what the bloody hell is going on here!"

"To the Star Destroyer _Bulwark_, this is _Guardian _control. Do you read us, over?" For a moment there was no answer, and then a male voice blared through the comlink.

"_To the Star Dreadnought _Guardian_, this is _Bulwark _control. Thank the force you guys arrived. We thought we'd never hear from you again."_

Relief filled the bridge like a warm blanket as the reply came, "We feel the same way control, what is the situation?"

"_We were under heavy assault by a flotilla of pirate vessels sir, just found ourselves in this system by accident. We would have been done for had the Tau not come to our aide."_ There was a silence over the com before the man at the other end spoke again. _"Sir I'm going to put you through to the Captain."_

There was another moment of potent silence before another voice broke through the light haze, _"Admiral Halos, nice for you to finally show up."_

Halos grinned, "Well we've been a little busy reassembling the fleet Glacius, figured someone of your reputation would be able to survive better than most."

A dry chuckle filled the air, _"Always the optimist."_

"What's the situation?" Halos asked, getting to business. "What's the status report on your vessel, do you have any casualties and how did you come to be in this predicament?"

"_The Tau came to our rescue sir,"_ the Star Destroyer Captain replied. _"We would have been ransacked by pirates or massacred by the Imperium if they hadn't saved our collective ass. So we decided to aide them whatever way we can, mainly in deploying our Starfighter corps and ground troops to help in defence and evacuations were necessary. I was a little sceptical at first, but their leader was very... convincing."_

"I see," Halos responded. "I don't fault you on your decisions Captain, but we are here under the goodwill of another faction."

"Who would that be sir?"

"The Eldar," Halos answered. "They gave us maps and starcharts, as well as a world to settle in exchange for some defensive help. We found you because of their assistance."

"I see," Glacius replied after a moment. "I'd watch who you make friends with Admiral. The Eldar aren't exactly the most trustworthy from what we were told."

"We are already aware," Joseph replied with a smirk. "Having a few Jedi in the crew really comes in handy. We're guessing that they want something in return for helping us find you."

"Hmm, maybe." There was a moment of silence before Glacius spoke again. "Admiral, I've been asked to patch a communication through from the Tau command to the _Guardian_. Will you accept?"

Halos shrugged, "I suppose I have no choice."

There was a thunderous roar from the comlink as the channels were switched before an eerie silence greeted the Admiral. A moment passed before a voice spoke, calm, in control and just a little bit unnatural. _"Greetings, Admiral Halos of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. My name is __Ethereal Aun'O Tash'var Shovah, supreme commander of Tau forces in the Kronus system."_

Halos frowned, "I don't suppose you have a shorter name sir. It's a lot of information to take in at once."

"_Very well, you may call me Ethereal Tash'var."_

"Sounds good enough," He replied before taking a deep breath. "Greetings, Etheral Tash'var of the Tau Empire. I am Joseph Halos, Admiral and Supreme Commander of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances seventh Fleet Squadron, designation _Vanguard Fleet Squadron_. I greet you on behalf of the Alliance Navy and the Galactic Alliance."

"_Greetings Admiral," _Tash'var replied. _"It is a relief that you have arrived. We were beginning to lose all hope of ever being reinforced. I ask that you aide us in our time of great need. If you feel that you need evidence of our intentions I will be happy to meet with you in person at an avenue of your choosing."_

Joseph looked to Sor'ai, then to Gabriel, before giving his response. "Understood, we will meet on the Star Destroyer _Resolute_. Is that acceptable?"

"_It is acceptable, Admiral."_ The Ethereal replied. _"In return we will offer you protection within a section of high orbit which we control. Coordinates are being broadcast to you and your flotilla now."_

"My thanks to you, Ethereal," Joseph replied before sending his com officer a cutthroat gesture, a sign to cut the link. When the officer gave him the thumbs up he turned to Sor'ai. "I want you to remain here. You're in charge until I return."

She saluted sharply, "Yes Admiral."

"Good girl," he replied before giving Gabriel a pointed look. "Master Sabbath. I expect you and one of your knights to accompany me, will you accept?"

"Yes Admiral," Gabriel replied. "The Jedi are at your disposal."

* * *

The Inquisitor stood on the titanic bridge of his vessel, watching through the main viewport as the ancient Imperial Grand Cruiser _Strength through Strife _exploded from the warp back to real-space. Its huge armoured form dotted with storey tall lance batteries capable of ripping a planet's crust asunder. Another handful of blasts of multicoloured light signalled the arrival of a few other vessels, the smaller but still huge _Lunar _Cruisers _Death before Dishonour _and _Saint Mina the Bloody _flanked the larger Grand Cruiser, barely a few kilometres smaller themselves.

He heard someone clear his throat and turned just in time to see the official commander of this fleet. Admiral Shen was a tall and lanky individual with gaunt facial features hidden by a well trimmed black beard. "All ships report successful arrival milord, we await your leisure."

The Inquisitor nodded, leaning heavily on his worn cane as he spoke. "Has Lord Admiral Tobias been made aware of our arrival?"

"He has milord."

"Is he aware of the gravity of the situation?"

"He has already assured us that we have his full support."

"Excellent."

"Shall we advance milord?"

"Yes Admiral, you may advance."

The Admiral stood to attention and saluted before spinning on his heel with military precision and leaving the command deck. The Inquisitor turned his head, watching as the large form of the _Strength through Strife _passed by overhead, covering the command deck in its impressive shadow. The _Silent Night _may have once been a Space Marine Strike Cruiser, but even she was dwarfed by this ancient vessels size.

When the great shadow of the Grand Cruiser passed by Grant was flanking his employer's left hand side, dataslate held securely in his gauntleted hand, "You have news?"

"Yea," the Interrogator answered with a smirk, "News that you're going to like. These are the latest status reports from Kronus courtesy of our mutual friend Xavier Tobias. Take a look."

The slate floated from the tall man's hand and into his superiors. The Inquisitor looked down at the dataslate, a grin slowly forming on his leathery features. A new flotilla of vessels had appeared right within the lines of Tau warships, of a much different design and size. He recalled the old image taken over Anglo Prime. The image was more crisp and clear than that old visual, but the basic shape and size was dead on.

"We found them," the grin was vicious, showing rows of white omnivorous teeth. "We finally found them."

His grin was mirrored by his subordinates, "Your orders milord."

"Have Admiral Shen prepare to go in swinging, we will press the attack whether or not the Lord Admirals forces are ready. Eliminate these heathens and heretics at all cost!" The Inquisitor was barely aware of the dataslate sparking in his hand, its interior wiring turned to dust by the slightest release of his warp abilities. It crumpled in his hand like paper, falling to the deck as ash.

"For the Emperor."

"Yes, for the Emperor."

* * *

Hossk Trey'lis gazed at the sleek, almost amphibious in appearance landing craft as it settled on the decking of the hanger bay. It was a beautifully built machine, built to look like an ancient manta ray, elegant points of cannon half hidden by its swooping wings to its dark sandstone colouring. It was a finely crafted Gunship.

The Jedi Knight stood flanking the Admirals left side, his friend and superior Gabriel taking the spot at his right. With the Admiral was the Captain of the _Resolute_, Carla Severi, a rarity among the ranks of the GFFA navy in that she was of Chiss descent, from her dark blue skin to her raven black hair and shining crimson eyes. She was pretty young to be a Captain. Then again Captain Flore was also young. Flanking her were four Troopers, navy armour gleaming and well kept blaster carbines held to their chests.

The Ethereal walked towards them with a strange, well, ethereal grace, dressed in flowing robes of pure white and gold which stood in stark contrast to his cerulean skin. A large, gnarled staff was held confidently in his right hand but other than that the Jedi made out no other weapons. Marching behind him in two columns of three apiece were his honour guard, soldiers termed as Fire Warriors. They were an impressive and slightly intimidating sight, dressed in full battle armour with heavy looking rifles held at waist height.

When he spoke it was in a soft tone, yet it held an incredible and almost undeniable authority behind it, "Admiral, a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

Halos bowed slightly, "Ethereal Tash'Var, the honour is all mine. Shall we take this to a more secure setting?"

The Ethereal offered nothing more than a curt nod of his head, "By your leave, Admiral."

Hossk felt it even before the Ethereal stepped onto the decking, but now that he was close to the leader he felt it quadruple in its power. He shared a look with Gabriel, only to see that the Jedi Master was already looking at him sharing a brief nod which could have been easily missed. Trey'lis nodded in return. He had felt something similar to this before. There was a force sensitive among the boarding party, and his or her powers were at full strength.

"Captain Flore."

Sor'ai turned from her place in the security foyer, nodding her head to the young officer as he saluted sharply. He was her First Officer, Commander Davrin Cobalt, a Devaronian male who like most other officers in the fleet had participated in the Yuuzhan Vong War. "Yes Commander, what is it?"

He relaxed slightly and stood at attention before relaying his report. "We have gained a heavily encoded communiqué from the planet, under specialist channel 23."

"Specialist channel 23," Flore muttered in thought before it came to her. "The scrambled channel we use to communicate with the Eldar."

"Yes ma'am."

She was walking past him before he finished the sentence, "Send it to the Admiral's office, now."

"Yes ma'am."

The Captain walked through the automated doors without missing a stride, stepping behind the Admirals main desk and pressing a few runes on his personal holotable. A moment of silence passed before the ethereal image of the creature stood before her.

Sor'ai immediately knew by the immaculate armour, decorated with glowing runes and half hidden by a flowing black cloak. Her helm was held under her arm, revealing a slender, pale face framed by raven black hair and dark eyes which shone with restrained power, and when she spoke her voice was soft, musical, bewitching yet slightly monotone.

"I was told by our Biel-Tan cousins that Joseph Halos was a human male, yet you most certainly are not."

Sor'ai felt a twinge of agitation before pushing it down. There was no need to act unprofessional. "Admiral Halos is unable to take this communication. My name is Captain Sor'ai Flore, acting commander of the Star Dreadnought _Guardian_. How may I aide you, Farseer?"

The woman at the other end seemed to study her for a moment, as if taking in every aspect of her appearance and committing it to memory before answering. "I am Farseer Taldeer, commander of Ulthwe forces in this sector. May I ask of the Admirals current location?"

"Certainly," Sor'ai replied after a moment of silence. "However, may I ask why?"

She gave him a condescending look, "Because he may be in some danger. I understand you are within a Tau fleet in orbit?"

Flore didn't clarify, knowing that the Eldar definitely had cloaked ships in the area, "He is on the Star Destroyer _Resolute, _negotiating with the Tau leadership."

"Then it is not just him that is in danger, but the future of your fleet as an independent force."

* * *

"Admiral,"

Halos turned to see Gabriel walking beside him, Hossk a few steps behind and a squad of Troopers following them in two rows of six. The Ethereal and his guards had gone ahead, being escorted to the proposed meeting chamber. "What is it Gabriel?"

"One of these Tau is a force-sensitive," he replied. There was no outward sign of surprise from the Admiral, only that his facial expression went stony. "I can feel his presence, and he is powerful. I can already feel his power descend upon this place."

Joseph was silent for a moment, stopping as they came to the entrance to the meeting chamber. "Do you have any idea of his intentions?"

"Not at this time," Gabriel conceded. "However we will be here if anything happens."

Halos nodded with a grim smile before walking through the main doors, "Gentlemen, let us begin. Please have a seat."

"Thank you, Admiral."

"Now then," Joseph began as he took a seat on the other end, his two Jedi bodyguards flanking his left and right. He noticed the Ethereal take a curious look at the two robed figures before returning his intense gaze back to the Admiral. "We already have a certain idea of what is going on by our contacts, but what is your side of the story?"

"Where did you get your information?"

"At the moment I cannot divulge that information." Joseph replied, hands clasped and used to prop up his head. "But from what my contacts here have ascertained this world originally belonged to the Imperium, then your people won it from them and now the humans are trying to reclaim it, am I right? But it's not that simple. Orks have come looking for a grand war. Eldar have landed for an unknown purpose which at first glance seems to be conquest, and even a small force of traitors who call themselves the Forces of Chaos have appeared."

"You appear to be well informed by the ongoing struggle in the Kronus system, Admiral."

"We are firm believers in reconnaissance and information gathering, Ethereal." Joseph countered lightly. "Which given our circumstances is quite imperative. Now, you have in your possession one of our ships. A Star Destroyer known as the _Bulwark_ and we want her back. The problem is what do you want in return?"

"What we want, Admiral, is your assistance in this battle," the Ethereal seemed calm and in control, yet by looking in his eyes Halos felt something tug at him, and he didn't like it. "We may win this war, and we may lose, but with your help we would gain victory."

"Interesting," Joseph replied as he leaned back. "But we are a small force, a flotilla of warships at best. I doubt our help would make much difference in the grander scheme of things."

"The military technology you possess in land, air and space will give us the edge." The Ethereal countered. "We have already seen what resources you can bring to the battlefield by the _Bulwarks _assistance in the defence of evacuees."

"I see," Joseph looked the Ethereal in the eye, and felt the pressure grow. "And what else is it that you can grant us for our help?"

The leader of the Tau looked on passively, "Why an alliance with the Tau Empire of course."

Joseph continued to look the Ethereal in the eye, and quickly felt the pressure in the back of his mind fade, like another had pushed it away with an invisible hand. If the Ethereal was surprised by the countermeasure he didn't show it. "Under normal circumstances I would find that quite appealing Ethereal, but not this time."

"Why is that?"

"Because I can't trust an ally who is rummaging through my head," Joseph replied, seeing the first flicker of emotion cross the features of Tash'var. It was surprise. "And it makes me wonder how you were able to _persuade _Captain Glacius to aide your forces."

Gabriel and Hossk had drawn their lightsabers from their belts and activated them with a duo of _snap-hisses_, filling the room with dim azure and emerald light as the blades came to life in their hands. In response the Ethereals guards raised their weapons, only to stop when the blasters of the rooms Trooper contingent levelled on them.

Halos sighed, as theatrical as ever.

"Now let's begin again, and don't try any of that mind manipulation stuff," Halos said sternly as he motioned to the two Jedi standing ready behind him. "These two are just like you Ethereal Tash'Var. They know everything there is to know about your certain brand of _persuasion_, including how to counter it."

* * *

It was a risk to exit the warp so far within the system, but it was a risk he was willing to take. If the calculations from the Tech-Priests were correct then they would return to real-space right in the middle of the star system, and right in weapons range of the Tau fleet and the unknown vessel they had acquired. If the calculations were wrong they could lose a substantial number of vessels.

He looked across the deck at his Blackships residential Tech-Priest, a tall creature hidden within the confines of a crimson hooded cloak, but the many cables secreting from his form and edging across the main control console was enough to bring a chill to his spine. He never liked the Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Their almost fanatical devotion to their Machine God was utterly heretical to his old eyes, only the immortal light of the Emperor was acceptable.

It spoke, voice mechanical and deep. "The calculations are in."

"Will this work?"

"Yes."

"You better be sure about this Tech-Priest Haig."

"The odds of survival are favourable."

"Enough." The Inquisitor's voice was edged with irritation. "Prepare to perform the Warp jump, and once we exit fire a full salvo."

The Admiral nodded, forming the sign of the Aquilla across his broad chest. "May the Emperor watch over us. All ships launch!"

The Inquisitor watched as the shutters fell across the main view-ports of the _Silent Night, _there to protect him and the crew against the demonic light of the warp. Any man who looked at those multicoloured lights was known to go insane. It was not unheard off. He closed his eyes, leaning against his cane as he felt a great lurch, symbolising the Blackship piercing through the fabric of reality between the Materium and the Immaterium.

There was a brief moment of eerie silence, with only the occasional creek of the superstructure as the only sound. The men and women of the entire ship had gone unnaturally silent, as if the entire ship was holding its breath. Three seconds, four, five, six. The Tech-Priests voice broke through the silence, breaking it like a glass goblet.

"Exit!"

There was a great lurch as the ship once again pierced between the fabric between the immaterium and the materium, and the Inquisitor watched as the great shutters once again rose up from their confines. What awaited them was a sea of stars, and hanging there like an overripe piece of fruit was the orb of the planet Kronus.

"Fleet is still coming in." Admiral Shen reported simply, giving the Tech-Priest a suspicious look. "The Cruiser _Ominous Silence _has reported colliding with the Frigate _Blackness_, minimum damage to the _Silence _but its escort has been lost with all hands. Five Frigates, three Corvettes and the Cruiser _Halloed Dawn _have failed to report in. All others report operational and battle ready."

"The Emperor was with us today."

"Three thousand kilometres from outer defences!"

"Have they become aware of our presence?"

"No, milord."

The Inquisitor grinned beneath his hood, everything was going to plan. The casualties were acceptable, and they were now ready to blindside the enemy. "Give the order to begin."

A few seconds passed before a great thundering assaulted the ears of every man aboard. The great lance batteries of the _Silent Night _opened fire, sending brilliant streaks of orange light into the abyss of space. In the distance the old man saw the Grand Cruiser _Strength through Strife _unleash a devastating array of fire from her long range lances.

The battle of Kronus had truly begun.

* * *

Gabrielle knew something was wrong the moment she and her guards stepped off the ramp of their shuttle and onto the deck of the _Bulwark_. On the outside everything looked in order. Mechanics and technicians were hording around the snubfighters and bombers, making repairs and refuelling the large ships for launch.

Three K-wing bombers hovered past them, making their way for the opened hanger bay doors for what looked like a combat sortie, if their complement of proton torpedo launchers was any indication. The young Knight noticed the young man approaching her and her small unit of four Alliance Troopers almost immediately. He seemed to take her in before standing to attention and snapping a sharp salute.

Flanking him were six Alliance Troopers, navy carapace armour gleaming in the low light, black visors down across their faces, and blaster rifles held ready in their hands. Gabrielle eyed them for a moment before returning her attention to the officer before her.

"Good evening ma'am. I am First Officer Anton Sulvan, second in command of the Alliance Ship _Bulwark_."

"Good evening First Officer." Gabrielle replied with a small smile, flicking a strand of brandy hair behind her left ear. "I am Gabrielle Sabbath, Jedi Knight and here on behalf of Admiral Joseph Halos. We wish to speak with the Commanding officer of this vessel immediately."

"I am afraid Captain Glacius is indisposed at the moment." Sulvan replied apologetically. "He is still in the middle of a meeting with the Tau delegate."

Gabrielle felt a flicker through the force, something that only added to her growing concern that something was indeed wrong on this ship. Not just that it was unusual for a Captain to not make room for an agent sent by his superior officer, but also that there was a foreign diplomat on this ship.

"Pardon me ma'am." Sulvan spoke up, gaining her attention. "I was only aware of one Jedi among the fleet, a Gabriel Sabbath."

"There are more," Gabrielle replied. "And by the authority of the Admiral I wish to speak with the Captain."

"I am afraid-"

"I insist," Gabrielle cut in as she walked past him, her guards immediately flanking her as she walked. Sulvan seemed surprised by her suddenness, but immediately spun around and followed the Jedi and her entourage. "It is of the utmost importance that I speak with the Captain immediately."

"Ma'am, I am under strict orders from the captain-"

"And I am under strict orders from the _Admiral_." Gabrielle cut in mildly, worry rising with each passing moment. The Troopers surrounding her seemed to catch on to the situation, for their gloved hands tightened around the grips of their blasters. She noticed the First Officers own contingent copying the slight motion.

The situation was tense, and Gabrielle knew that if she didn't do something then there was a chance something very stupid could happen. Sighing she looked down at the ground, hands at her hips before looking up at the First Officer with a disarming smile. The Knight never liked using this way of persuasion, but she saw little choice.

"First Officer Sulvan, would you please take me to the Captain. It is off great importance." She gently called upon the force, offering a subtle wave of her hand as she implanted a sudden need to agree with her into his mind. The First Officer's eyes went glassy for a moment before returning to their usual hazel. He blinked a few times, shaking his head before he answered.

"Off course ma'am, I will take you up to him personally."

"Thank you, First Officer." Gabrielle inclined her head slightly in thanks before following the young man through the hanger and down the main corridor. She left two of her Troopers in the hanger to watch the shuttle, and brought the other duo with her with a simple nod of her head. The two men seemed a little relieved as they flanked her down the corridor, following the First Officer to the Turbolift.

Ten minutes later they were exiting the Turbolift and walking through to the main security foyer of the Star Destroyer. Gabrielle left her two troopers at the lift entrance as she continued to follow the First Officer towards the Captain's quarters. She noticed nothing really troubling of note as she passed by the nerve centre of the Star Destroyer. The men and women she could see were doing their duty as they were expected to do, but the uneasy feeling prevailed.

"_Be careful."_

She was barely able to keep stride, immediately aware that Gabriel was speaking to her through their strong link. She continued to follow the First Officer, while sending her psychic touch across the distance to her twin. _"What's wrong?"_

"_The envoy they sent our way was force sensitive, and very capable at manipulating the mind. Keep your mind defended, and prepare for anything."_ It was barely a moment before her brother felt a pang of panic assault her senses before she forced herself to calm down and looked at the back of the First Officer as he led her to the Captains quarters, at the back of the bridge deck.

"Tell me First Offier, what is the name and rank of this diplomat?" She asked, adding a little weight on his mind through the force to gain the information she needed. She waited for him to answer with baited breath.

"I don't know his name ma'am." Sulvan replied with a thoughtful frown. "But I believed he introduced himself as an Ethereal Prince."

_- Be careful. - _She tensed at her twin brother's mental voice. - _The force sensitive we faced was also of the Ethereal caste. - _

Unconsciously Gabrielle's hand touched the cool metal of her lightsaber, hilt as she came to the hydraulic sliding doors which led to the Captains chambers. Two troopers stood guard at the entrance, not particularly unusual until they stopped the First Officer.

"Sorry sir, but you heard the Captain." The trooper stated. "No one is allowed to enter until he says."

"I have a messenger from Admiral Halos here," he replied without missing a beat.

Gabrielle stepped forward, feeling from before rising by several decibels as she stood against the towering guards. "I am Jedi Knight Gabrielle Sabbath, here on behalf of Admiral Joseph Halos to see Captain Glacius."

It was such a subtle thing as she watched the hands on the blasters tighten, and Gabrielle could only frown, thankful that her robes allowed her to hide her hand as it slowly rested against the hilt of her lightsaber. It was then that she noticed it, and she berated herself for not seeing it the moment she set foot on this ship. An aura was in the air, a suffocating aura which emanated from the force itself. Someone was using the force constantly, and it was being concentrated on the minds of the men before her.

Two words permeated through the force, strong and powerful enough to send a sharp pain to her head.

_- Kill her! - _

The troopers raised their blasters.

First Officer Sulvan reached for his blaster.

Gabrielle moved.

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **_Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story.

_**Author's Note 2: **_Okay, the whole idea that the Tau Ethereal caste are really force-sensitive beings will raise a few eyebrows from some and probably gain a little outrage from others, but let me be clear. This is my story and I can and will bend canon information from both universes if I so wish. That is my right as the writer of this story. I don't mean to sound threatening, but that is how it's going to be.

_**Author's Note 3: **_The old Warhammer versus Star Wars argument has started to crop up again in my review panel as well, and I am more than fine with people giving their opinions. However keep in mind in what I have written is the personal opinions of two sides who have not met each other either on friendly or hostile terms yet.


	13. Silence Shattered

_**Chapter 12**_

_**Silence Shattered**_

Gabrielle was a blur of motion, soaring forward within striking distance before her three attackers could even fully draw their weapons. In a flash she had disarmed the two marines and sent their forms slamming against the steel bulkhead with a well timed force push before turning around to face the First Officer.

Sulvan already had fully drawn his blaster and as she turned to face him pulled the trigger. Everything went into slow motion, only for the speed to pick up again the moment she activated her lightsaber with a _snap-hiss_ of ethereal azure light. The blade was brought easily into position to deflect the blaster fire, sending three beams burning black scorch marks into the bulkheads before deflecting the fourth into the CO's right shoulder.

The young Jedi moved with speed, easily cutting the pistol in half as he fell back from the force of the deflected blast before aiming a well timed chop to the back of his neck. The Officer fell into a limp heap as she turned back to the main doors of the Captain's quarters.

With a simple raising of her hand the doors were pulled off their hinges with a grinding of steel before landing on the decking with a metal clank. She turned ninety degrees, bringing her other hand towards the security blast doors. The datapad flashed green and the doors closed, mere moments before a relief unit of Marines became visible.

Taking a deep breath Gabrielle turned back to the opening to the Captain's quarters, unclipping her lightsaber from her utility belt and waited. She didn't have to wait long. A tall and lanky figure walked into the connecting corridor with confident steps, covered with a cloak of royal red and blue, a golden staff held in his right hand.

With a simple gesture the hood fell back, revealing the stoic features of her opponent. A face which lacked the nose so common among humanoid species back home, beady eyes which shone crimson, mouth set in a thin line and a head without even the slightest semblance of hair. This was a Tau, and by the power he was exerting he was indeed what her brother feared, a force-sensitive.

Crimson eyes met chocolate orbs and in the space of a heartbeat understanding passed between them, understanding which only a forceling could know off. The Tau spoke, voice gravelly yet punctuated with power. "I am Aun'La N'dras J'Karra of the Ethereal caste, holder of the rank of Prince."

Gabrielle knew an introduction when she heard one, and decided to respond in kind. "Gabrielle Sabbath of the Jedi Order, holder of the rank of Knight."

"Ah," the Tau replied as he took a step forward, staff tapping against the ground with every step he took. "So you are one of these Jedi I have read about in this ship's archives. I am interested that there is an Order who shares our powers and abilities, and you are human as well... most interesting."

"So it is true," Gabrielle said, mouth set in a thin line. "The Ethereal caste of the Tau Empire is force-sensitive."

"You call what we are force-sensitive?" Aun'La asked, tilting his head to the side inquisitively. "Tell me what do you call this power we have been bestowed with?"

"We call it the force,"

"Ah," The Prince seemed to think for a moment, "Such a generic term for such a great power."

"What do you call it?"

"The Greater Good,"

Slowly Gabrielle had managed to shift herself until she had gained a view of the Captains quarters and nearly gasped when she saw the Captain. He was sitting in his chair behind his desk, looking straight ahead and eyes glassy, nonresponsive.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded.

"I have simply removed him from any harm." Aun'La replied, raising his hand. "I will release him once this is over."

Gabrielle was hoisted into the air even before she felt a vicelike grip on her throat. The suddenness of the choke took her completely by surprise, forcing the air from her lungs as she gagged and coughed. The Ethereal then flicked his wrist, sending her impacting against the bulkhead. Pain blossomed in Gabrielle's back as she collided with the unforgiving metal.

She fell on her hands and knees, coughing and sputtering, hand reaching up to feel the faint bruises appearing on her neck. "Surrender Jedi, I do not wish to hurt you any further."

"Oh," she asked as she rose to her feet, hand still massaging her neck. "Why is that?"

"You are too valuable for us to simply kill." The Prince replied. "In order to continue understanding the Greater Good and its gifts we will need specimens like you, those from other races who have unlocked the blessing of the Greater Good."

"Test subjects huh?"

"If you wish to call it that,"

She looked up to him, brandy hair falling across her face, yet that did not hide the piercing glare from her hazel eyes. "I decline."

Before the Ethereal could respond he was thrown back by a force push, thrown into the officer's quarters and through a table. Gabrielle took a few deep breathes before making her way into the main quarters of the ships commander, just in time to see the Ethereal slowly rise to his feet, placing weight on his staff. She had knocked the wind out of him, and that made her feel a hint of satisfaction.

"I see," the Ethereal said, cracking his neck muscles as he rose to his feet. "You are not going to make this easy."

"No," she replied, looking him in the eye. "I'm not. I will not relent until you leave this ship and free its crew from your influence. That is the oath I have taken as a Jedi Knight, guardian and protector of the people of the Galactic Alliance."

"Guardian and protector," the Ethereal intoned calmly. "So you are not rulers?"

"No, we're not." Gabrielle replied. "Our ancestors, our predecessors watched over and protected the people of the ancient Galactic Republic, then the New Republic and now the Galactic Alliance. We are not rulers and we never will be."

"Then that is where we are different," the Ethereal replied.

"I guess so." Gabrielle replied, reaching out with her hand to call her lightsaber to her. The blade spun through the air as it collided with her hand and activated with its signature _snap-hiss_, an azure blade came into existence, its light permeating the air around her. "Now, will you leave?"

"No."

"Then we have nothing else to discuss."

There was a brief, yet bright flash of light from the main view-screen of the Captain's cabin and both Jedi and Ethereal found themselves distracted enough to look for the source. It was one of the Tau escorts, cracked in half by a monumental show of force. Secondary explosions dotted the marine shaped vessels frame as its two halves drifted through space.

"What in the name of the force."

* * *

"Report!"

Sor'ai was on the bridge of the _Guardian _in a heartbeat, ignoring her startled security foyer crew as she reached the holotable and began tapping commands, bringing up a full map of the system courtesy of the several dozen probe droids they had seeded.

"Enemy vessels have appeared just outside of the Tau defensive line." The young man yelled from his place, "According to reports a total of one Battleship analogue, three Grand Cruisers, seven Cruisers, thirteen Frigates and at least twenty Corvettes. They opened fire on the Tau lines the moment they were sighted."

"The Tau were unprepared, they've lost a handful of warships to the opening salvo."

"Have they targeted any of ours yet?"

"No ma'am."

"Incoming!"

A second long light tremor was the only sign that something was wrong. "Correction ma'am, they have begun targeting us. Enemy fighters have broken through the perimeter, numbers between a hundred and fifty to two hundred plus, orders!"

"Activate point defence systems," she barked as she walked to the entrance of the foyer, just in time to see a bulky Imperial fighter streak across the main view-screen, a _Fury _Interceptor if she wasn't mistaken. "Scramble response squadrons and prepare main Turbolaser batteries. Are any Imperial ships advancing towards us?"

"Yes ma'am, a Grand Cruiser analogue accompanied by two Cruisers and ten Corvettes."

"Are they within maximum firing range?"

"No ma'am."

"Are we?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Give them a warning shot, right across their bow." Flore ordered simply. "Aim for the Grand Cruiser."

"Yes ma'am."

The frontal left main Turbolaser turret swivelled into position, waited a second then fired a beam of concentrated energy, the two barrels recoiling from the force of the shot. The green beams streaked through the space between the two sides, and true to orders grazed the Grand Cruiser, shields flaring from the blow.

"Enemy ship is slowing,"

"Good."

"Captain, I'm getting a communiqué from the _Resolute_."

"Put it through." She ordered simply as she peered over the com officer's shoulder. There was a snap of static which quickly faded and the crisp voice of their supreme commander filtered through.

"_Report, Captain."_

Sor'ai did so without hesitation, a hallmark of her military training and experience. "We are under attack by a few hundred Imperial fighters sir, point defence weapons have been activated and response squadrons have been scrambled. An Imperial taskforce is closing from their exit point, a total of one Grand Cruiser, two Cruisers and ten Corvettes, warning shot has been fired."

"_Very good Captain,"_ Halos responded. _"Command has been temporarily transported to the Resolute until this fight is settled."_

"Yes sir."

"_We will be attempting to hail them, if negotiations do not go well you are ordered to treat advancing Imperial units as hostile."_

"Understood sir," she responded. "What will our response be to the Tau presence, sir?"

"_That is up to their Ethereals, and if they are willing to return the Bulwark to our control."_

"Yes sir."

* * *

"_Strength through Strife _reports superficial damage only, just a grazing hit."

Admiral Shen frowned as he watched the Grand Cruiser continue on its course, the Cruisers _Will of the Emperor _and _Impregnable _flanking her left and right. The emerald lance had definitely been fired from the largest unknown vessel. He heard a growl and turned to see the Interrogator, Grant, frowning. "Why would they fire when we're so far out of range, desperation?"

"No Interrogator." The Admiral responded, turning around so as not to show to his audience the glare in his eyes or the grinding of his teeth. "That was not a shot fired in desperation. It was a message and a warning. They have us in their sights and they're letting us know it."

"But that means that they're range would be twice ours."

"Exactly," Shen folded his arms. "We're dealing with an enemy who can fire upon us before we can fire on them."

"Admiral," the officer manning the ship communication systems called. "We're getting something on the Vox receivers, but it's garbled."

"Why should I care?"

"Hold on a second," the young man went about pushing dials and runes before putting it on the main deck loud speakers.

"_... Imperial flagship, this... Halos of the Galactic Federation... Alliances, please respond." _With each second the operator worked the scratchy communication became crisper and secure until he looked up to the Admiral and nodded his head.

Shen frowned as he took the headset from his officer and placed it over his head. "This is Admiral Dodona Shen of Imperial Taskforce Black Nine. Who am I speaking too?"

"_Ah finally." _The voice replied before a moment of silence followed. _"Admiral Shen, this is Admiral Joseph Halos, commanding officer of the Galactic Alliance seventh fleet squadron, codenamed Vanguard. Did you get our little message?"_

The Admiral ground his teeth, but otherwise kept himself composed. "Yes, it was most... informative."

"_It was meant to be Admiral." _His counterpart replied dryly. _"As you are probably aware we are capable of firing upon you well before you can effectively fire upon us, so as one Admiral to another I am asking you to halt your advance. We'll get out of your way once our mission is completed."_

"And what exactly is your mission?"

"_One of our ships was taken as a guest by the Tau, and we're here to get it back."_

"You appear to be very forthcoming with such information, sir." Shen said with a frown, wondering in the name of the Emperor why this man was just nonchalantly talking with him about his mission and objectives.

"_We'll we've already got her back, just waiting a few minutes for confirmation."

* * *

_

The Ethereal was indeed quite a skilled user of the force and as she hopped right and left to dodge or outright block his strikes Gabrielle was already listing off his abilities in her mind. The Alliance and her fellow Jedi would definitely want such information in case of any further unfriendly encounters with these people.

So far her opponent has shown as inept ability in the force, including Coercive Persuasion, telekinesis, a light ability in precognition and mental augmentation. He could call upon the force to increase his speed and strength, lift objects with his mind and sense an attack coming mere milliseconds before it hit. These were abilities compulsory in every force-sensitive with the rank of Knight in the New Jedi Order.

His staff appeared to be an aide, allowing him to control and manipulate the currents of the living force to fuel his abilities. This was an advantage to her, she decided. If she was going to win this battle before the legions of brainwashed crew broke through the blast doors then she needed to separate him from his staff.

She landed in a crouch, skidding to a halt and raising her arms in time to stop a filling cabinet from colliding with her. Gabrielle then subtly manoeuvred it in the way of another cabinet, before using a well timed force push to send her skidding out of the Tau Ethereals line of fire. She came to a halt, reached out with the force and sent another piece of debris at the Tau. There were plenty of objects to choose from. To a force-sensitive everything not bolted down could be used as a projectile.

The Prince saw it coming, and with a fluent motion spun around, using his staff like a club to bat the debris aside before raising several more objects into the air and sending them flying towards her. Gabrielle dived to the side, watching as the chair slammed against the decking with enough force to shatter, then sidestepped a ripped off table leg and finally brought her lightsaber up in time to block another.

He was keeping her at a distance, retreating every time she attempted to come in close. He was definitely a ranged fighter, and not suited for close quarters combat. Gabrielle didn't know whether this was the fighting ability of all Ethereals but she knew that if she was going to win and survive then she was going to need to get in close.

She needed to force him into a corner.

She needed to box him in and give him nowhere else to run.

Alright then;

With a deep breath she thumbed off her lightsaber and attached it to her belt. This appeared to interest the Ethereal, by the way his head tilted inquisitively to the side. Another deep breath and Gabrielle fell into a ready stance, coiling up her body like a spring, spreading her legs and bringing up her arms, almost as if she was falling into a martial arts stance.

If he wanted to fight her with the force that was fine, after all she was above the norm. A flick of her wrist and a several jagged pieces of metal rose from the deck and were sent flying. The Ethereal brought up his staff in a sweeping arc, and the mangled remains slammed into an invisible wall.

He had taken a step back.

Gabrielle raised her hands and a small salvo of debris rose from the deck, pieces of jagged metal, table legs, crushed glass, filling drawers, even a few broken stone statue pieces. The Ethereal took another step back. Gabrielle took a deep breath and punched out, sending several pieces flying. The Ethereal moved quickly, bringing up his staff to deflect any pieces which were aimed at him, but he took another few steps back.

Each punch she made with an open palm sent more projectiles towards her foe, and each wave of debris sent him retreating a few steps. A sweeping motion with her left hand sent out an entire wave of projectiles, forcing the Tau to duck, sidestep and lash out with his staff in an attempt to protect himself.

He took another step back, and stumbled.

She had him.

Gabrielle lunged forward, lightsaber spiralling into her outstretched hand as she charged. The Tau could only look at her, concentration disrupted by his stumble as she brought the inactivated hilt down on his forehead. There was a flash of light as the Ethereal brought up his hand in a desperate effort, and Gabrielle hit an invisible wall which flashed blue before her, showing the young Jedi Knight a bubble of energy, a protective bubble.

It cancelled out her own inertia and reversed it, sending her flying back with bone jarring force. She slammed against the bulkhead with enough force to dent the durasteel, lightsaber falling from her limp hand. Gabrielle coughed up blood as she fell on her hands and knees before collapsing on the cool, debris ridden metal decking.

The Tau Ethereal was breathing heavily, perspiration pouring down his face from his exertions, but above all he felt a strong bout of anger. How had this human used the Greater Good without anything to aide her? It was intriguing even though he felt mildly insulted and infuriated.

Half dragging himself across the deck, using his staff for support he was able to muster the strength to roughly grad the female by the collar, hoist her to her feet and slam her against the dented bulkhead. She gasped in pain, perhaps from the three broken ribs received from his last ditch defence, but gritted her teeth and bared it.

"How were you able to do that?" His voice was calm and cool, hiding his agitation. "Use the Greater Good without anything to help you harness and ground it?"

She chuckled, a dribble of life fluid streaking the corners of her mouth. "We might have used... something like... that once."

"Then how?"

"Simple," she replied, gritting her teeth to stop her crying out in pain. Her voice was raspy and broken yet she still forced herself to speak. "We've been learning about the ways of the force for... thousands of years." She broke into a fit of hacking coughs. "We may have... forgotten a great many things... but... we still remember... the basics."

The young Prince looked slightly taken aback by her comment, but before he could press her further the cavalry arrived in the form of a blaster bolt, set for stun, slamming into the Ethereal's back. The Tau fell backwards, relinquishing his painful hold around Gabrielle's neck, and took in a harsh breath of air upon the release.

Standing in front of her was Captain Glacius, blaster pistol in hand smoking from the recent discharge. He rushed to her side, holstering his sidearm before placing a hand on her stomach. He may not be a fully qualified medic, but like all naval personnel he was skilled in basic first aid. He checked her ribs, stopping when she released a harsh gasp of pain.

"You need a medic, my lady."

Gabrielle felt like laughing, but it came out as another fit of coughs. "How did you... come to your... senses?"

"His fight with you must have weakened his control." The Captain replied as he took out his personal comlink and pushed a few buttons. There was a hiss as the blast door to the bridge deck rose, and a small horde of Alliance personnel rushed in. The first one through was a weary looking Corporal, who looked at the scene of destruction which was once his superiors living quarters with wide eyes.

Their battle had left quite a mess. Almost all of the furniture was in pieces, scattered across the floor or imbedded in the bulkheads, if that was at all possible. Dacius rose to his feet and with a deep breath began barking out orders. "What are you all gawking at! Get the lady a medic and lock his lordship in the brig. Unpack the anti-force gear and set them up around his cell."

The Corporal shook his head before standing at sharp attention, flashing a salute, "At once sir!"

"Oh right, contact the _Guardian _and ask Halos what took him so Sith spawning long to get here!"

* * *

"Our fighters are taking heavy casualties," Shen grit his teeth in agitation as the officer reported. "According to reports almost half of strafing units have been neutralised, squadron leaders are asking for a withdrawal."

"Permission granted," he growled before looking at the headset as if it had just been possessed by the forces of Chaos itself.

"_It seems we have gained confirmation that our ship is indeed back in our hands." _The Emperor forsaken bastard sounded smug, and then the chuckle from the other end made him snap.

"What are you laughing about!"

"_Oh, I apologise for that. The Captain of our recovered ship sent me a message which I found funny."_

He didn't hear the Inquisitor approach, and he was taken by surprise when the old man snatched the headset from him and pressed it against his ear. The old man didn't seem perturbed in the slightest. In fact he was for all intents and purposes completely professional.

"Is this Admiral Halos?"

There was a moment of silence. _"Yes it is. Who am I speaking too now?"_

"I am Inquisitor Hans Jaeger of the Imperial Inquisition, Ordo Hereticus branch." The man responded simply. "And by order of his Imperial Majesty and assembled High Lords of Terra I have been assigned the task of finding you."

"_I see, and what is it you wish to discuss, Inquisitor?"_

"A simple matter," the old man replied, sounding to all present like a grandfatherly figure. The Admiral noticed his apprentice shudder. "I am asking you to surrender yourself and your fleet to us. I am sure that we can come to an arrangement and in return we will offer protection and sanctuary to your crews."

There was a longer pause. _"Inquisitor Jaeger, it appears that you're offer is intriguing and fair. However I am afraid that I cannot accept."_

The Admiral saw the Inquisitors grip tighten on the headset. "And why is that?"

"_We have been in this galaxy for roughly half a year. What do you think we've been doing? Sitting on our asses and twiddling our thumbs?" _The grip tightened to the point where the Admiral could hear the leather gloves creek. _"We have spent a lot of time on information gathering and reconnaissance. The information we have gained is most... troubling."_

"Define troubling?"

"_About two thirds of the men and women on my crew are of non-human origin." _Halos replied simply. _"Our research has yielded information on your Imperium's history... 'Death to the heretic, the traitor and the xenos' if I remember the term from the report. I have read everything my agents have uncovered Inquisitor, and I can understand why you think that way."_

"Then why do you protect those vile rodents?" the Inquisitor asked. "The xenos are a disease to the galaxy which rightfully belongs to man. From our experience they are untrustworthy, manipulative, murderous and bloodthirsty. There can be no peace with such things."

He didn't even hesitate. _"Because where I come from we have learned to understand and cooperate with each other. In the Galactic Alliance all races are equal, and are treated to the rights of sentient beings. As Admiral of this fleet it is my duty to protect all under my command, human and xeno alike. That is my oath."_

"I see."

"_Now then, will you withdraw and leave my ships alone?"_

"No," the Inquisitor replied, eyes burning with malice. "Now that I know of your heresy there is no way we can allow your fleet to leave. We must destroy you to the last piece of scrap metal, death to the heretic and the xeno, in the name of Emperor and Imperium."

There was a long silence before the heretic spoke again, yet his voice changed to one of cold steel. _"I see, very well then. We will be taking the gloves off. Captain Flore, open fire!"

* * *

_

The main Turbolaser batteries of the _Guardian _opened fire in unison, disgorging a mass of emerald streaks as the destructive beams of light travelled the space between the two fleets in a matter of moments. The opening salvo slammed into the void shields of the largest Imperial ship which flared an ominous purple in the almost non-existent light.

Halos watched the entire episode from the command deck of the _Resolute, _Captain Severi standing at ease beside him. The Chiss Captain, black hair done up in a bun and crimson eyes piercing looked to her commander in chief. Halos liked Severi, though his first time meeting her was before they embarked on the voyage he had read up her service record. A Chiss serving a navy outside of their territories was a rare occurrence after all. Like all of the other Captains she was a veteran Captain, loyal to a fault and known as level headed and calm in her decision making.

"Captain Severi," Joseph spoke up. "Would you please relay an order to the rest of the fleet to send them a volley?"

She smirked before snapping a sharp salute, "Yes sir."

Within moments the main Turbolaser batteries of the _Resolute, Dauntless _and _Interceptor _recoiled as they joined their opening salvoes with that of their flagship. The Grand Cruiser was already slowing, and thanks to the long range sensors Halos could see that its void shields had imploded, explosions dotting its armoured hull and triangular shield shaped fore.

"Has the Tau showed any signs of catching onto what happened yet?"

"No sir, they seem to be too busy repelling the Imperial attack."

The Admiral thought for a moment. "Right then, order Dacius to set a course for our formation."

"Yes Admiral."

Nodding Halos brought his attention back to the advancing force. The main long range guns of the taskforce fired off a third and final salvo, thousands of Turbolaser lances slammed into the burning away heavy armour, sparking more violent and deadly explosions. It was obvious that by the time they entered maximum effective range the vessel would be nothing more than a wreck.

"Enemy Grand Cruiser is coming to a stop."

"Cease firing and concentrate on one of the Cruisers!" he turned to Severi, "How long until we're in range of their main guns?"

"A minute, two at the most," was the Chiss females reply.

"And until the _Bulwark _arrives?"

"Roughly the same time give or take a few seconds." She looked him in the eye. "Do we hold the line?"

"If we want her back we have no choice." Halos frowned as he took in the two Cruisers. "If we aim right then we might be able to knock another one of those giants out of commission, because I doubt that an _Imperial-class _can take much more than a salvo."

"Starfighter command reports that all Imperial fighters harassing us have been neutralised." Severi was smiling slightly. "_Bulwark _is thirty seconds away."

"What about the enemy fleet?"

"They're thirty five seconds away."

"Turn us around. Prepare to make a break for it."

"Can we outrun them?"

"We can, but the enemy will have us in their sights long enough to fire a full salvo." Halos frowned as he thought through the possible outcomes. "Best case we take some damage."

"What about the worst case scenario?" The Captain's question gained a smile without a trace of mirth from her superior.

"The worst case scenario is that we lose a ship. Those Lance batteries the Imperium employ are nothing to laugh at. They pack twice the power of a Turbolaser and designed more to zero gravity combat than bombardment like ours are geared for."

_- Admiral – _

The voice, soft and melodic caught the man by surprise, for a moment he thought it was a twist of his imagination, but it echoed through him a moment later, twice as loud yet in the same calm tone. He gave a fleeting glance to Severi and the crew within earshot, only to see that not a single one had spoken to him, nor did they seem to hear the voice.

_- Can you hear me, Mon'Keigh? - _

He had heard of this, speaking to a person through telepathy. Gabriel had tried to explain the principles behind it to him once. That didn't matter now. The person trying to communicate with him was definitely Eldar, considering there was no other race they knew off who called humans Mon'Keigh.

_- Yes, with whom am I speaking? - _

_- That is unimportant, what is important is that you listen to me and listen well. Turn your fleet and retreat to the planet's night side. We will be there to aide you – _

_- How do I know I can trust you? – _

_- You do not, but it's either putting faith in us or facing the wrath of the Imperium guns alone. Choose-_

It only took him a moment to choose. "Order the fleet to retreat to the Planet's night side, sector nine, coordinates eight seven Charlie Delta."

"Admiral."

"Don't ask, just do it."

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes sir."

* * *

Jaeger watched as the Alliance fleet, with its wayward escort rejoining their formation, began to make a series of banking turns, showing their back to the taskforce in pursuit. To his right his apprentice frowned at the retreating forms.

"Are they retreating?"

"It appears so."

They had underestimated the technological advantage their quarry possessed and the sheer destructive power that their flagship could unleash upon an unsuspecting target. With three full volleys the Star Dreadnought had done so much damage to the _Strength _through _Strife _that it was forced to retreat from the field unless it be lost. When the Grand Cruiser vacated the field the enemy fleet swerved their guns to target the Cruiser _Indomitable_, hammering her with an additional volley before ceasing fire and turning to flee.

It was a good thing they did, though he was loath to admit it. The _Indomitable_ had reported a collapse of her frontal void shields. Another volley would have caused serious damage to the Emperor blessed capital-ship at best and outright crippled her at worst. It was during this skirmish that the Inquisitor came to a conclusion. The enemy's main trump card against them was their command ship, remove that from the fray and they could win.

The problem was getting within range before all of their heavy vessels were torn apart.

Admiral Shen growled in frustration, "Emperor damn them, are we in range!"

"Yes Admiral, but by their speed we'll only be able to fire a single salvo."

"Do it!"

The main lance batteries of the blackship opened fire in unison. The power behind the sudden volley made the entire superstructure of the former Strike Cruiser tremble as their fire was joined by their two escort Cruisers and numerous picket ships. Streams of lance fire sliced through the eternal dark, aimed directly for their command ship.

The Inquisitor watched as several beams slammed into the behemoths rear shields, flaring an electric blue as they were absorbed. He ground his teeth in irritation. The shields had held, not surprising he supposed considering such a large target obviously needed powerful shields.

"They're out of range!"

"Pursue them," Shen roared. "Launch additional fighter wings. Order them to target engines and main weapon batteries. Do not let those Emperor forsaken heretics escape!"

The Inquisitor watched the enemy force as they retreated, already attempting to ascertain where they were retreating to. Were they attempting to make a break for open space and escape the system, or were they going to try and use the planet as a shield.

He soon had his answer.

"They're attempting to put the planet between us and them."

"Retreating to the night side eh?" Shen growled as he watched the enemy ships darken to nothing more than their running lights. "Advance, follow them. Do not allow them to escape!"

But it was too late. By the time they rounded the planet there was no sign of their quarry.

The Alliance fleet had vanished like ghosts in the night.

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **_Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story.

_**Author's Note 2: **_So ends the first real encounter between the Alliance and the Imperium. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed on the last chapters, I am happy that the idea of the Tau Ethereal caste being force sensitive went over so well.

_**Author's Note 3: **_In the next chapter the Alliance learns what the Eldar want in return for finding their lost ship. The battle in the Kronus system intensifies and another race rears its ugly head. Until next time.


	14. The Cost of Favours

_**Chapter 13**_

_**The Cost of Favours**_

Halos watched with bated breath as the Imperial taskforce passed them by, and for the first time since arriving in this galaxy got an up close and personal look at one of their capital-ships without being fired upon. Barely ten thousand kilometres to their portside was their pursuers, two cruiser analogues guarded by a cluster of smaller picket ships.

The cruisers were indeed a truly formidable sight, and their designs were so different from Alliance shipbuilding methods that to try and compare them for similarities was almost laughable. These ships were built for a singular purpose, and that purpose was to eradicate the opposition with superior firepower and thick defences. Their forms weren't streamlined, and every inch of their bulky frames seemed crammed with enough weaponry to make a lesser foe think twice before engaging.

The fronts of these vessels reminded Halos of a shield or plough, obviously designed for ramming an enemy vessel, long barrels of what looked like anti-ship cannons jutted out from under the plough shaped fore and the Admiral had no doubts about the potential firepower. Beyond the fore was its bulky form, storey tall lance batteries and a myriad of other turrets were represented in line after line, a single high command tower rose up from the back, and its huge engine nacelles flared crimson as the juggernaut continued on its way.

No one spoke, no one moved, no one even dared breathe. The atmosphere was so tense that a pin would drop and the entire bridge crew would be able to hear it. Halos understood their apprehension. They were putting their trust in an unknown entity which could very well have led them into a trap.

The second the Imperial taskforce passed by their fleet Joseph released a breath of air he wasn't aware he was holding, before turning back to Severi. "I want complete com silence until we are sure we cannot be heard."

She raised a black eyelash. "Why are you whispering, Admiral?"

"Seems appropriate, don't you think?" A nervous smile curved up her lips before she nodded and set about the task, calling out to her communications officers to relay the Admiral's order through secure channels to the rest of the fleet. Joseph continued to watch the Imperial taskforce as their forms shrunk with each second, slowly but surely vanishing in the eternal darkness of space.

His fleet had gotten off lucky during that skirmish. Sor'ai reported that a good chunk of the _Guardians_ rear deflector shield had been used up in absorbing the lance battery fire from the Cruisers. Luckily enough none of the Star Destroyers had been targeted and the Star Dreadnoughts shields were already recharging back to their full strength.

But there were a number of unanswered questions. The Admiral knew that the Eldar were once again involved with the situation. He was also greatly interested in what kind of stealth technology they possessed to make a taskforce of warships simply vanish from not just visual sight but sensors as well. The possibilities of such technology were both awe inspiring and terrifying.

Imagine a fleet of Star Destroyers hidden from sight and sensor, completely invisible until the moment they struck. Such an element of surprise could tip the scale of any conflict unanimously in his favour. There were ancient reports of powerful Sith sorcerers being able to do similar things during the Great Hyperspace War millennia ago, though in their case it was casting an illusion to make the fleet look like one huge transport instead of inducing near perfect invisibility.

Then there was the problem with their Tau captives. The Ethereal on the _Resolute _had surrendered without a fuss and was currently imprisoned in one of the guest suites in the visitor quarters, guarded over by Jedi Master Gabriel Sabbath, Jedi Knight Hossk Trey'lis and a full platoon of his most grizzled SpecForce commandoes. The Ethereal on the _Bulwark _was another matter. At least three people were reported injured, including Jedi Knight Gabrielle Sabbath, in apprehending him. Luckily no one was severely hurt or killed. The Ethereal had been imprisoned in the brig, and anti-force equipment had been set up to render his abilities mute. He needed to decide on what to do with them.

It took considerable effort not to jump when the voice echoed through his mind again.

_- Are you still with me, Mon'Keigh? – _

_- Yes, I am still here. Thank you for the assistance – _

_- We did not aide you out of charity – _

_-Yes, I assumed as much. I am guessing you are Farseer Taldeer of Ulthwe, correct? – _

There was a trace of mirth in her voice as she replied. _– Hmm, it appears you are smarter than you look – _

_- Thanks, I guess. So I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you want our help in return for reuniting us with our lost ship –_

_- You are most perceptive. Yes, in return for leading you to your lost ship I am asking for your help – _

_- You want us to aide you in conquering the planet? – _

_- Hardly, our objectives are not nearly so superficial. It was never our intention to take this planet for ourselves – _

_-Then what is your objective? – _

She hesitated for a moment, as if unsure in telling him such information. _– There is a great evil hidden under the surface of Kronus, tell me Admiral have you ever heard of the Necron? –_

* * *

Lord Admiral Xavier Tobias watched from his command throne as the battle played out before him. The Inquisitors arrival was risky and the possible cost to his forces was great, but it seemed to have bore some fruit. The Tau had been taken completely by surprise with at least twelve warships destroyed and an additional seven damaged in the first minutes of the renewed conflict.

However the Tau had reorganised themselves quickly and efficiently, reforming their battle line and pushing his own forces back, slowly but surely, to their own lines. These lines of battle had been redrawn, with both sides now pummelling each other with long range weaponry including lance and pulse, torpedoes and missiles were being fired in droves and hordes of fighter craft were streaming through the death zone in swarms, attempting to break through both sides firing solution.

Tobias watched as another one of his ships, an Imperial Frigate, blossomed in an explosion of fire and smoke as a Tau _Protector-class _capital-ship passed by the husk, now exchanging fire with one of his old Cruisers. Further along a small Tau escort was ripped apart by the magnificent guns of one of his _Lunar-class _Cruisers, the _Divine Grace _if he remembered.

His ship remained at the rear of the fleet. His flagship, the _Emperor-class _Battleship _Royal Oak _was his trump card against the Tau, leading a fleet which consisted of three _Overlord-class _Battlecruisers, five _Lunar-class _Cruisers, eight Light Cruisers and twelve Frigates all of varying design. The moment the Tau fleet weakened he would be ready to welcome them with a full salvo of firepower. The right moment needed to be found, and then victory would be certain, for Emperor and Imperium.

At the moment though his attention wasn't on the battle taking place before him, but on his main view-screen, looking at the projection of the man who had kick started this entire affair. "You're plan of action was a risky one Inquisitor, but at least it broke this Emperor forsaken stalemate."

"_I am elated that you are happy, Lord Admiral."_ Jaeger replied dryly. _"However there is the small problem that my quarry has eluded me."_

"Hmm," Tobias rubbed his chin, noticing with distain the stubble forming from several days. "Indeed, your opponent seems to be a sly old fox."

"_Or he has made agreements with some of our enemies, more reason for us to hunt him down." _

"If this force is indeed new and possesses a high array of technology wouldn't it be a better alternative to try and capture at least one of their ships?" Tobias asked. He was no xeno lover, like this supposed _Alliance _seemed to be, but even he could see the possible benefits of receiving advanced technology, even if it did take the Adeptus Mechanicus a couple of centuries to sanction it. "I can think of quite a few factions within our beloved Imperium who might object to your... methods."

He shrugged off the sudden ominous feeling which settled on his shoulders. The Inquisitors eyes were piercing. _"Like who?"_

"Well the Ordo Xenos will probably make a fuss that an Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor decided to do their job for them, plus I can see the Adeptus Mechanicus making a little trouble if you leave nothing for them to salvage." Tobias was a man who liked to cover his bases, and he knew about the intense rivalry between the branches of the Inquisition. He also knew about the almost heretical way the Mechanicus liked to review xeno technology.

The Inquisitor must have known this as well. He wouldn't have survived as long as he obviously had without it. This Alliance may be an organisation of xeno lovers and heretics who had obviously not witnessed the Emperors light but they also possessed some interesting and downright impressive military grade technology.

The thought of a main weapon battery with twice the range of a standard lance battery made the Lord Admiral grin internally, imagine the strategic advantage one could attain from such a weapon being installed into an Imperial fleet. A cruiser upgraded with hybrids of those weapons would be intimidating, but a battleship equipped with such weapons would be fearsome.

"I think I'm going to throw a small force into finding this Alliance fleet." The Lord Admiral looked up at the Inquisitor with a wide grin. "I mean consider how my status would improve if I handed over a fully operational warship to holy Terra. I could see a promotion to Warmaster in my immediate future."

If the Inquisitors eyes could have narrowed further they would have, _"You."_

"Consider this me continuing to aide you Inquisitor Jaeger, but I am going to capture one of those ships in as good condition as possible." The Lord Admiral rose from his command chair. "Imagine what we could learn from gaining such an asset. There must be more to these ships than a weapon whose range accedes our own. A galaxy wide communication system, enhanced medical technology, by the Emperor anything is possible."

"_You will be branded as a heretic for this!"_

"Maybe," the Admiral replied with a smirk. "Or maybe I will go down in history as the man who ushered in a new age of technological achievement and conquest for the holy Imperium. It could take longer than my lifetime to implement, but as long as I deliver a ship to hallowed Terra that will not matter."

"_You,"_ Jaeger didn't look angry, he looked livid, absolutely furious. _"You will regret this, Lord Admiral, I guarantee it!"_

He hit something on the control panel before him and the screen descended into the chaos of static. Tobias leaned further into his leather command chair, breathing a sigh of relief before turning towards the shadows behind him, well aware of the presence in the darkness. "Was that to your satisfaction?"

"Yes," a silky voice replied with an abundance of mirth. "Thank you Lord Admiral, my Lord will be happy with your choice."

"What _choice _did I have," Tobias muttered, though a smile graced his grizzled features. "Your master and my father had fought beside each other on several conflicts. If I didn't side with you then my old man would turn in his grave."

"Perhaps," the feminine voice replied.

A woman stepped into the open and by the Emperor she was exquisite to behold. She was dressed in a pair of black robes, emblem emblazoned on her right breast marking her as an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos. Her face was heart shaped with pale skin, dark brown eyes and a dainty nose, long, luxurious and feathery raven coloured hair stretched down to the small of her back, accenting her hour glass figure. Yet Tobias knew she was nowhere near defenceless, light armour glinted from the parting of her robes, and he had glimpsed a loose black leather utility belt where a pair of bolt pistols and a combat knife. He also spotted a satchel which held something else.

Unlike the Inquisitor he had just spoken too this one had obviously attained her position in the fires of combat, and that made her and her retinue all the more dangerous. He could still see them in his mind's eye. A battle-sister of the Adeptus Sororitas, a Penitent Witch covered in parchment, and a tall man dressed in a ruby red leather suit complete with sombrero hat.

"We thank you for your help in this delicate matter, Lord Admiral."

"A pleasure milady," Tobias replied as he finally slouched into his command throne. "Just tell that bastard Silvermane that I expect a full crate of Northumberland wine for this."

"What year?"

He chuckled, feeling the tension vanish from him in waves.

* * *

"Are we absolutely sure that what the Eldar is saying is true?" Rosso asked with a frown, studying both her superior and fellow Captains.

"I asked Captain Glacius to perform a deep core scan of the planet." Joseph replied simply from his chair before turning to the holographic form of the _Bulwark's _commander. "What did you find?"

Glacius cleared his throat before responding. "According to the deep core scans we have found a large series of hollowed out caverns under the planet's surface, too numerous and unnatural in design for them to be a natural occurrence."

From her own chair on the table the head professor in the fleet cleared her own throat to be heard. "After Captain Glacius brought the scans to my attention my team performed a number of more thorough examinations and found that the caverns are blanketed by an energy reading. The readings are very subtle and couldn't be picked up on unless you were looking for it but it is undoubtedly there."

"It does seem to coincide with the Eldar's claims." Captain Verge nodded. "However what do we know about these Necron?"

"Just from what information our agents found on Imperial worlds and what the Eldar have seen fit to share with us." Lissana answered, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms as she spoke. "But from what little we have been told the Necron were once a race of people who encased themselves in machines of living metal and began a crusade of annihilation across the galaxy. They were unbeatable and when they ravaged all known life they apparently went into hibernation, only to begin reawakening now."

"If they are machines then we can't rely on conventional tactics. Blasters can only be so effective against machines, especially if these Necron are as hardy as the Eldar claim." Captain Severi frowned as she thought before smiling sheepishly. "That is _if _we decide to stick our necks into this fight."

"Ionised weaponry might be our best option," Artin spoke up, flashing the Chiss Captain a rueful smile as he added his thoughts.

"No," Halos shook his head. "It might be more effective than blasters but not as effective as we need. According to the Eldar they have tried to fight the Necron with ionised weapons and failed. The Imperium records we gained also speak that similar attempts by them to use EMP weapons haven't been successful either."

"What about Disruptors?" Rosso asked, ignoring the few disapproving looks she received from a few Captains.

"Those are illegal."

"And for good reason," Flore said with an equal frown. "Disruptors may be powerful and capable of turning any solid object, organic or not to ash. But they are unpredictable and dangerous to both the target and the wielder. They can only fire a few shots before they overheat, and there have been instances where overheated disruptors blew up in the faces of their wielders."

"The Alliance wouldn't even touch on the idea of using Disruptors."

"That's not entirely true." All eyes turned to Professor Lissana. "Before Coruscant fell to the Yuuzhan Vong the Chief of State and Senate began making orders for further research into Disruptor technology. Because blaster and ionised weaponry proved ineffective against their Vonduun Crab armour they wanted to utilise Disruptors as a possible replacement."

"The research was approved by the Galactic Alliance during the war but it stagnated after the ceasefire was declared." Halos finished. "Officially the government wouldn't touch the idea of Disruptors with a ten foot poll, but unofficially they supplied each fleet squadron with a supply of finished Disruptor rifles and grenades."

There was silence for a few moments before someone spoke up. "Are we really going to use those weapons?"

"We are a small force, far away from home in the middle of hostile territory." Joseph said sternly. "We won't last long unless we bring every advantage we have to the table. I am ordering that the Division and Special Forces units we land on Kronus be armed with not just blasters but ion rifles and disruptors. We can't afford to leave anything to chance."

"What is the Eldar plan of action?"

"They're not going to lead a full on attack, instead they've put forward the idea to insert small Special Forces units into the catacombs with several small tactical nuclear bombs. The idea is to set them in important load bearing areas and cave in the tombs." Halos touched a button on the command table, and watched as a holographic image of the catacombs flickered into view, a maze of tunnels and chambers.

"The teams will be made of SpecForce as well as their own elite shock troopers. While they plant the bombs a diversion will be made at the main entrances, here, here and here. Our Division as well as a sizable Eldar force will cram as much heavy weaponry as we can against the entrances and pummel them until we have confirmation that the bombs have been deployed, then we will call a tactical retreat." Halos looked at the Captains. "If all goes well we cave in the tombs and stop the Necron from taking the world."

"So you are deploying troops on the ground." Rosso said with a nod.

"Right, we'll be deploying the 33rd Coreworld Guards, and SpecForce fire squads one, three, nine, ten, eleven and twelve of the 5th SpecForce Infantry Division will be assigned the behind-enemy-lines role." Halos replied without missing a beat. "They will be supported by fighter and bomber squadrons from the _Resolute _and the _Interceptor_. Their mission will be to secure control of the skies until our troops are off the field. If worst comes to worst then we withdraw all forces and pummel the site from orbit."

"Why should we care though?" Tills asked with a croak. "Sure these Necron sound like bad news but we do not have the resources to deal with this if we fail."

"From what I hear an active Tomb world is bad news for not just the planet but the surrounding sector as well." Joseph said simply. "If we fail to stop them and they take Kronus then they will have a platform in this sector to launch a harvest upon the surrounding worlds. If they do that then eventually Haven will be within their sights. Haven is our base of operations, but whether we planned it or not there is a population there whose only chance at survival is with our protection."

"He's right," Rosso nodded. "The moment we let those people settle on Haven we became their protectors and benefactors. It is our responsibility to protect them from all threats, present and future."

"What about the Eldar?"

"Once this business with the Necron is settled then we're bugging out and returning to Haven." Joseph replied with a shrug. "It doesn't matter if Taldeer is here to suppress the Necron or conquer the planet. Once the Necron are subdued then we're gone. The rest of them can fight over this world all they want and the victors are welcome to it."

"What about the Tau Ethereals?"

It was a question everyone knew would be raised eventually. What would be done with the two Ethereal's. The one on the _Resolute _was being treated as an honoured guest, albeit with anti-force equipment set up around his suite, a platoon of Alliance Marines and Jedi Knight Dani Blue guarding his floor. The one on the _Bulwark _was being treated as a borderline criminal, locked in the Interdictors brig with anti-force gear positioned and a platoon of marines guarding him.

Thankfully the situation on the _Bulwark _ended with no fatalities, only four people were injured with the worst being Gabrielle Sabbath. The young Knight had taken a beating from the Ethereal, and had suffered a number of injuries including a mild concussion, cracked ribs and some internal bleeding. Thankfully she was the first patient to be placed in a Bacta tank, and was currently resting in the Star Destroyers infirmary, bandaged and bruised but stable.

"For now we keep the one on the _Bulwark _locked up. The other will remain as our _honoured guest_ until our mission here comes to an end. After that we'll return them to the Tau settlement on the planet." Joseph's face was a mask of stone as he made the declaration.

* * *

Lukas Alexander, Governor-Militant of Kronus and commander of the 1st Kronus Regiment peered steadily over the mass of recon reports presented before him. His forces may have secured victories against the Ork hordes to the South and the Tau forces to the North West, but he was also suffering losses.

The Space Marines of the Blood Ravens who had positioned themselves to the North were already threatening his borders, and to make matters worse was the dataslate before him, showing him the information as if it was unconsciously mocking him. With a growl of anger he crushed the slate in his power fist before slamming it against the concrete slab which made his table.

"The expedition to the Thur'Abis Plateau is a failure then," he asked, sucking in a breath. With the Blood Ravens assaulting his positions to the North this had to be the worst information he could possibly gain.

"I'm afraid so sir," the unfortunate Lieutenant who had been chosen as the bearer of bad news replied a little fearfully. "According to reports 6th Company of 2nd Battalion suffered losses of up to forty percent. Worst of all the Kasrkin squads sent to support them haven't reported back since the battle officially started. By the reports we were able to gain it appears that they were all lost."

Alexander ground his teeth at the statement, Kasrkin infantry were some of the best in the Imperium, elite shock troopers born and raised on the fortress world of Cadia, armed with state-of-the-art weaponry and survivors of dozens of military campaigns. Elites from any other planet were exemplary. Elites from Cadia were the hardest, toughest and deadliest bastards in the Imperium.

Losing a Company of men could be contributed to a bad week.

Losing a Kasrkin squad was an unmitigated disaster.

What was almost as bad was that with this failure the Necron scourge could break from their confines and turn the planet into a graveyard. He idly considered that he should have heeded Taldeer's warning, but he dismissed it as ludicrous. The only goal of that foul race was to deceive and destroy, just like her actions at Lorn V which resulted in serious casualties for the local Imperial Guard Regiment and the loss of a hallowed Imperial Titan. Taldeer had proven amply that she was not one to be trusted, just like the rest of her infernal Emperor forsaken race.

"Our only hope is that those Kasrkins are still alive."

"Why do you say that, Governor?"

"Because if they are then the mission isn't a total loss. As Cadians they will never give in, not till their last breath." Lukas Alexander looked at his assorted retinue of lieutenants. "As long as one of them is alive the mission isn't a failure, but for now we need to stop those traitorous Blood Ravens from destroying us, the Necron can wait."

"Yes sir."

* * *

The roar of the engines was loud and unrestrained, but to Gabriel it was nothing but after-noise. The LAAT gunship was filled to the brim with soldiers and was but one of a small swarm of gunships descending upon the planet of Kronus with a single intention, a single purpose and a single order.

The Necron must not breach the surface.

Ten thousand men and women were being ferried to the rendezvous point, where the Division would meet with the Eldar army which had been slowly trickling into position over the past several days. The target was the Thur'Abis plateau, situated in the very centre of a great desert situated in the middle of the Kronus continent. It was under this plateau that the Necron army laid and it had to be here that they be stopped.

The Eldar had promised support, it was a mandatory requirement that Admiral Halos had hammered down. Either the Eldar of Ulthwe pulled their weight in this operation or the Alliance pulled out. If his Division arrived to find no substantial Ulthwe forces on site then he would recall all units and leave the system. It was a risky gamble, but it seemed to work. Taldeer, the Farseer in charge of Eldar forces in system had promised that not only would there be an army waiting for them but she herself would be there to lead them. Gabriel had been chosen by the Admiral to lead the soldiers of the Coreworld Guards, granting him the immediate rank of General despite his protests.

All of the Jedi had received similar ranks, though only he gained the rank of a full four-star General. Rachi had gained the title of Lieutenant General, Jaden and Gabrielle had received the ranks of Major Generals, Hossk and Dani were made Brigadier Generals. Luckily they were able to stop him from forcing a rank on Alana and Marie. Gabriel understood that although they had around fifteen army Divisions within the fleet they didn't have very many men to lead them, the mission was only supposed to be a test flight after all, not a long term exploration assignment into hostile territory. The Divisions were only originally there for security purposes, and because of that the Alliance army had given Halos full command authority.

He thought about his twin at that moment, but shook it off. Gabrielle was alright, she was alive and resting in the medical wing of the _Bulwark_. He suddenly had an urge to rip that smug Tau Celestials head off with his bare hands but stopped himself with a deep, calming breath. Gabrielle was his sister, his younger sister, albeit by a few minutes. It was a natural reaction that he would feel overprotective of her, but knowing his sister like he did she would definitely scold him for losing his cool, especially before a battle began.

He brought his mind back to thoughts on the new hierarchy of the Alliance fleet.

The only other person available for a command role was Abraham Mathews, the SpecForce Colonel Halos had elevated to the rank of Commander-in-Chief of Alliance Ground Forces. Even though Gabriel and his fellow Jedi had taken military roles it was Mathews that they reported to, and that was fine with him. The man had more experience at leading than the rest of them had in their little fingers. That still left him second-in-command of a fighting force numbering roughly a hundred and fifty thousand men and women at arms, and that didn't include the Alliance Marine and SpecForce units, which altogether added another hundred thousand to the mix.

It was all a little overwhelming.

He really needed a strong caff.

"Two minutes to drop point!"

Gabriel shook his head, dispelling his insecurities in a heartbeat. He was the commander of this Division now. His goal was to get the job done and get the people under his command home with minimal casualties. His mission was to stop these Necron from making it to the surface.

That was his goal.

That was his mission.

And he would complete it without fail.

Failure was not an option.

Success was the only option.

The moment the main wave of gunships reached the rendezvous point they saw that the Eldar had indeed mustered a sizable force. A small army of three thousand soldiers had assembled to support them, mainly Guardians, but Gabriel also saw a number of elite units including all-female Howling Banshees, Fire Dragons, Striking Scorpions, Dire Avengers, Shining Spears, Dark Reapers, Swooping Hawks and Warp Spiders.

As well as these lines of soldiers were a number of heavy support units and vehicles, Fire Prisms and Falcon Gravity Tanks, Jetbikes and Support Weapons. His gunship was one of the first to land and disgorge its compliment of infantry onto the field. As Gabriel hopped out of the LAAT he looked up in time to see another twenty gunships break through the cloud cover, alongside a small number of Titan Dropships, no doubt carrying AT-AT and AT-ST walkers As well as SD-series Battledroids.

Companies of men and women were already assembling on the ground with military precision, standing in columns twenty across and five deep as he passed them by with a small number of elite bodyguards and advisor's. The ground beneath him shook ever so slightly, and without turning he knew that the infamous AT-AT walkers were being unloaded from their dropships. If there was one unit the Alliance could use against the forces of this galaxy it was the infamous All Terrain Armoured Transport, one of the deadliest vehicles in the arsenal of the Galactic Alliance.

The newly promoted General strode through the assembling army, well aware that two SpecForce troopers, in their signature black armour as they flanked his left and right. Battalion commanders joined his little procession as he continued on his way. The General paid them no mind as he kept walking, seeing a small cluster of figures approach them. The Farseer was easy to make out among the welcoming committee, fully dressed in her field armour, black cape billowing in the wind as she walked.

"Farseer Taldeer," he greeted with a short bow.

She nodded her head, though it was difficult to make out thanks to her helm. "General Sabbath, I am pleased your Admiral has assembled such a force."

"And he is pleased that you have done likewise." Gabriel replied simply. "Even as we speak SpecForce fire teams are being dropped in the agreed upon positions. Admiral Halos stresses that he hopes your Rangers will be there to meet them."

"They will be there General," the Farseer didn't miss a stride. "Now we have a diversion to prepare."

"Of course," Gabriel easily kept with her pace, surprised that he was able to do so. The two commanders started walking, their retinues following them closely. "The intel you supplied us said there were three main entrances into the underground catacombs, which means we'll have to split our armies into three forces. The best course of action is to cram as much firepower on those entrances and cut loose once we see the first glimmer of metal."

"A simple tactic, yet a sound one," Taldeer nodded.

* * *

The holding bay of the Gunship was quiet save for the continuous roar of her engines and the lesser cry of the wind. That was the idea for a vessel carrying a black ops team. All communications had been shut off, all running lights turned off and all heavy missile pods removed to make her lighter and faster.

Major Falkirk placed the black helmet over his head and sealed it shut at the neck. There was a moment of darkness before the helms internal systems came alive with a kick of static and a flicker of colour. The flicker gave way to a full coloured three hundred and sixty degree view of the interior of the dark Gunship, before being switched to the blacks and whites of night vision. The SpecForce Major flicked his sights from night vision to infrared to full colour again.

With that checked he confirmed that his information systems were in working order, bringing up schematics of maps and the cams from his own men. Unconsciously he ticked everything off as he checked the data flooding into his helms transceivers. Night vision check, infrared check, maps and schematics from satellite images and deep core scans check, Trooper cams check, squad comlink... "Give me a Hoorah if you hear me!"

"HOOORAH!"

Check

Armour. He looked at his hand and made a fist. The armour he wore was standard issue for all cleared SpecForce combatants, fully suited for behind-enemy-lines activities, plates and fatigues were a mat black with red trim. There were no symbols on the breast plate or shoulders, completely incognito other than the white symbol of the Alliance etched onto his helms forehead. It was designed for infiltration and reconnaissance.

Weapons. A new T-97 blaster carbine was clutched between his knees, safety on and a fully loaded clip of ammo inserted. A trusty old DH-17 blaster pistol was holstered to his waist as well as a vibroknife and satchels holding grenades and plastic explosives.

With a final check of his armour he picked up his carbine and gripped onto the loop tightly, looking around him at his fellow Troopers, all fully armed, helms hiding whatever their faces showed, fifteen men, a full squad in the SpecForce, all ready and waiting for the gunship to slow to a hover. There were another five squads out there, all moving in to their insertion points.

The LAAT slowed to a hover. The green light blinked on and the sliding doors on both sides slipped open. There was a howl of wind and then the elite soldiers exploded into action. Jump cables were clipped and unrolled, falling into the darkness below. Falkirk was one of the first, clipping onto the first cable and abseiling down until his feet were met with solid, rocky ground. He fell into a crouch, un-slung his blaster and waited as the rest of his squad slid down from their cables.

When the last man unclipped himself the gunships engines flared and it took off into the night, noise dying down until it was nonexistent. It left fifteen men in a circle, crouched and standing, helms set to night vision and blasters at their shoulders ready to fire at a moment's notice. In the middle of their protective huddle was a small device, about a meter in diameter and reaching up to waist height.

"So where are our guides?" Falkirk whispered, eyes alert for any sign.

There was a slight flicker of static before a new voice pierced through their supposed secure squad comlink, musical and effeminate, but still obviously male, _"Ten meters ahead of you, Mon'Keigh."_

A shimmer in the night was their only warning before five figures appeared before them, hooded and cloaked, piercing through their robes were the long barrels of rifles, intricate and streamlined. Falkirk guessed they were long ranged sniper rifles, yet other than that they could make out no other features in the dark.

"You're the Ranger squad I presume." The Major inquired, slowly lowering his carbine and rising to his feet. A simple hand gesture and the rest of his squad also lowered their weapons, though they were still ready to use them at a moment's notice.

The lead Ranger nodded his hooded head, "And you are the SpecForce Commandoes we were told to wait for. Come, time is short and we have no time to waste."

Falkirk tilted his head to the side, "Lead the way then."

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **_Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story.

_**Author's Note 2: **_Am I the only one who has been having trouble updating my stuff, for about a week all I kept getting was an Error Type 2? I eventually got so fed up with it that I looked online, should have done that days ago. For anyone whose having the same problems it's in the address on the address bar. When it comes up saying 'Story_Edit_Property' simply change the 'property' to 'content'. It worked for me, thank you Yahoo answers :)


	15. Taste of Steel

_**Chapter 14**_

_**Taste of Steel**_

The men had been tense the moment they were lead into the small opening by their guides, one would expect no less from career soldiers of SpecForce. Their Eldar guides were obviously just like them, elite troopers whose skills had been honed through many conflicts.

For Chance Falkirk and his men their skills and veteran status had been honed and perfected by participating in the waning years of the war with the Empire and the brutal carnage of the five year Yuuzhan Vong War. They had fought and won against both the brutal efficiency of the Imperial Stormtrooper and the bloodcurdling mercilessness of the Yuuzhan Vong warrior.

Yet he knew that the Eldar Rangers who led them probably had more combat experience than he had in their little finger, constantly living on a knifes edge between life and death, far from home, running the risk of dying on some backwater world and no one would mourn them. That was the life of those who joined the path of the outcast.

Some of their guides had probably undertaken so many missions like these that it didn't even faze them anymore, which seemed to show as they moved with precise steps, completely silent even to the enhanced sensors of his helmet. Their black cloaks were still, only fluttering with their steps. Some held their long, elegant rifles with both hands, others had them leaned against their shoulders and still some just held it casually and confidently at their sides.

The atmosphere changed the moment they reached the first antechamber, a small cavern of rock. Chance felt the temperature drop dramatically before they entered the chamber, and with a raised hand halted his platoon. He lowered himself into a crouch, his men copying his motion. The five Rangers had a similar idea as they pressed themselves against the passage walls, checking their rifles.

Falkirk quickly checked the clip to his blaster, making sure for the umpteenth time that it was a full clip before raising his hand, showing two fingers and motioning to the mouth of the chamber. Two soldiers moved quickly and silently passed him, taking up positions at either side of the corridor mouth. There was a moment of silence before a single click echoed through the squad comlink.

The coast was clear.

Chance nodded before raising his hand again, this time motioning with three fingers. Another three of his commandoes moved passed him, then the Rangers, then the two at the mouth and into the chamber, forming a triangle formation, carbines swinging left and right as they surveyed the surrounding area.

There was another click.

The coast was clear.

But the tense feeling in the air remained and the Major didn't like it one little bit.

The strike team moved through the antechamber with no problems and into the next corridor, walking in a broken order, far enough away that they wouldn't cluster and make a single target yet close enough to be able to aide their comrades when the shit hit the fan. Chance found himself walking beside one of the Rangers, barely aware of him as he slowed his step to match his pace.

"Major," the male said in a accented whisper, voice muffled by the humanoid mask he wore. "We are nearing our destination. In your terms the site is another two clicks southeast."

"Yes I know, but the further we go into this nest the more danger we will be in." Falkirk replied in the same low voice. He silently reached inside one of his satchels and produced a small spherical object, thumb pressing a small button.

"What is that?"

"Something that'll help us a whole lot from here on," Chance looked the Eldar in the eye. "We're nearing one of their main accesses, so we'll need to be far more alert from here on out."

The Ranger nodded his head absently before shouldering his rifle and striding ahead, catching up to his teammates up front. They continued to walk until they came to the next route on their objective, a large cavernous corridor which acted as a spine from the surface all the way down to the depths of the plateau.

He didn't even need the spy drone. He saw the horrors for himself. The first thing that got his attention was when they were about to reach the intersection between their corridor and the main corridor. A glimmer of liquid silver metal caught his eye and immediately he brought the platoon to a halt, turning to one of the Rangers.

"Something's up ahead."

"We saw it too, Mon'Keigh."

Falkirk frowned at him before turning to his troops, pointing at two of them in turn. "You and you with me, keep it quiet and calm."

They nodded before following him to the entrance and beyond. It was an easy place to hide. The cavern was indeed huge, even the deep core scans didn't do it justice. Stalactites and stalagmites rose and fell from the ground and ceiling, their sheer size making them thousands of years old, perhaps much older. The air was damp and spine chillingly cold, almost unnaturally cold, so cold that Falkirk could _feel _the chill even with the warmers in his fatigues.

They took cover behind a row of the pointed rocks and watched the procession. What he saw marching through the chamber filled him with pure dread and made the chill in his spine intensify tenfold. He had read about Necron warriors, even seen pictures and video of them, but nothing was quite like seeing them in reality.

They're metal bodies seemed to gleam with an unnatural greenish glow, skull shaped heads with eyes as black as the depths of the abyss looked seeing but unseeing through the darkness, broad bodies covered in spines, yet still skeletal in appearance, thin arms carrying huge weapons which glowed that same unnatural green. They moved with silence, like wraiths in the night, they didn't move, they lumbered.

What really terrified the Major was the sheer number of them, hundreds, maybe thousands were silently shuffling along, metallic bodies stretching for as far as he dared see. One stopped and slowly turned to look in his direction and the Major and his two subordinates ducked behind their cover. Falkirk took a deep breath before switching to the secure channel they had with the army waiting on the surface, they shouldn't be out of its range yet.

"This is Alpha unit to surface command, code Alpha Zulu Charlie six nine four. Do you read me surface?" He said the code slowly, emphasising each word before waiting barely a moment to gain the sketchy reply.

"_Go ahead Alpha unit."_

"I got the whole fucking Necron army heading your way, over."

There was a moment of silence before a new voice answered him, and he knew it unmistakably as their new second-in-command. Chance wasn't the biggest fan of the decision, even with the friendship he seemed to have struck up with Master Sitra since the Vong incident. The Jedi didn't seem thrilled with it either, probably remembering the history lessons of what happened to their predecessors when they were made commanders of an army.

Still it was an order from the top, and Falkirk was placated somewhat when he heard Colonel Mathews was made overall commander. For all their mystical power and ability Jedi were not soldiers and they weren't seasoned commanders. They didn't have that look in their eye, those cold orbs of a seasoned killer. They would hesitate before they were made to kill. He had seen this in Rachi when she fought that Yuuzhan Vong infiltrator. If they weren't there then the bastard would have killed her.

They were admirable, honourable and courageous, but they would never be true soldiers.

"_Alpha unit this is Sabbath. Do you have numbers?"_

"As far as the eye can safely see, sir," Chance replied. "Looks like mainly regular troops, warriors with a few heavier units mixed in, Destroyers I think, armed mainly with Gauss rifles. ETA to your position ten to twenty minutes, over?"

Another pause, _"Do not engage Major, continue on with your mission. We will hold them."_

"Copy that sir, Falkirk out." He switched back to squad frequency, and braved another look over their cover to see the procession continue on. "Alright, let's get back."

They needed to find a new way to their destination, for there wasn't a chance in the seven hells that they were getting through here.

* * *

Their positions were half dug out trenches, barely waist deep and supported by sandbag walls. Alliance troopers were lined up within the dugouts, armed with blasters, ion rifles and disruptors. E-Web heavy emplacements were placed strategically along the line and in dugouts between ten and fifty meters behind were mortar teams.

Sergeant Gett checked the ammo pack of his carbine before looking out from his position. The first line of trenches was a hundred meters away from the entrance to the caves, giving them plenty of room between them and their enemy. He heard a low level hum and turned to see an Eldar Falcon Gravity Tank hovering into position, main guns fixed on the torch lit mouth.

There were neither AT-AT walkers nor any other heavy armour besides Eldar hover vehicles and Alliance light hover tanks, fast attack. All of their heavy armour was being kept back in reserve, ready to use in case they failed to halt the Necron advance. In that scenario they were ordered to perform a strategic withdrawal under the cover of heavy artillery fire and aerial strafing.

"Here they come!"

"All positions hold fire for as long as possible."

"Concentrate your fire on individual targets, these bastards are supposed to be pretty hard to take down!"

The first thing Gett saw was a shimmering of dull silver metal as the first Necron warrior lumbered into the sunlight, they were utterly nightmarish creations, skeletal constructs of heavy spiked armour and spindly arms and legs, carrying a huge weapon whose barrel flared an eerie green. With their presence the temperature seemed to drop by several degrees, making several men along the line shiver.

The Eldar tanks opened up first, white shards of shuriken fire peppered and pierced the armour of the warriors, leaving tiny paper thin holes. Then the Alliance hover tanks followed suit, releasing torrents of continuous beams of crimson light. Within moments the barrage turned the mouth of the cave into a killing field. A Necron warrior stumbled through the kicked up dust and debris, a hole blown clean through its chest cavity. It made it two steps before falling face first to the ground.

When the dust cleared the soldiers saw the mangled and hole ridden bodies of at least ten warriors, but another thirty were advancing and more were coming from the deep, black shadows of the inner cavern. Gett began to count the seconds before their commander gave the order to open up, watching as their light armoured support continued to pour weapons fire into the growing Necron ranks.

A lance of eerie green light exploded from the darkness, hissing over their heads before piercing straight through the light armour of an Eldar Jetbike. The small vehicles smashed against the ground, sending its driver flying, before exploding in a shower of wraithbone. Gett watched, dumbstruck as a Necron Destroyer hovered into the light, looking for all intents and purposes like a warrior fused into a hover platform, a long barrel of a gauss cannon over its left shoulder.

The Lieutenants voice was heard through the eerie silence, "Open fire!"

They did, and the air was immediately joined by the discharges of over a thousand blaster rifles, E-Web blaster joined the fray, pouring a mass of crimson bolts into the Necron ranks. Gett watched as singular bolts scorched the dull armour black, yet the seemingly soulless droid-like constructs continued to advance.

"Concentrate your fire on singular targets!"

They did, and Gett watched as the Necron warrior he targeted fell from combined fire of an entire fire team. It took the combined fire of at least four blasters or a three second burst from an E-Web to seemingly bring one of the bastards down.

Mortar shells screamed overhead, slamming into no man's land in fiery explosions of rock and dirt, some were able to rip several Necron warriors to pieces, but those who weren't hit head on simply shrugged off the debris and kept lumbering onward. An Alliance light tank hovered sideways, pouring heavy blaster fire into the ranks before being pierced from at least three heavy gauss cannons of still emerging Destroyers. It hit the ground, sparked and exploded.

Then the Necron came within fifty meters, and immediately began returning fire, lines of green gauss beams answered the challenge of the crimson blaster bolts. The man beside him got hit straight into the chest, a direct hit, and sent back to the ground. The Sergeant turned to check him, only to see a gruesome sight as the Private tried to hold in his organs, which had been atomised into a red liquid. The gauss beam had liquidised flesh, bone and organs into a reddish tan paste.

"Force me."

More gauss rounds hissed overhead, slamming into the light armour of the hover tanks, one took several hits, armoured hide seemingly melting from its form. A man's scream was cut off as a gauss round sliced clean through his head past his lower jaw. A woman fell back, screaming as her left arm melted from her shoulder down.

"Switch to disruptors!"

Getts did so without hesitation, dropping his carbine and slinging his smaller, more compact disruptor from his backpack, the small weapon was light, no bigger than a long barrelled duelling blaster. He thumbed it on, aimed down the barrel at an approaching warrior and fired off a round, the kick nearly made him fall on his back. The disruptor round hit the approaching warrior square in the chest, and exploded in a mass of metal.

Deep blue beams began phasing out the crimson bolts as more troopers switched their blaster rifles for disruptors, and the advancing Necron warriors began to fall more easily. They were within ten meters of the front line now, and Getts could see a faint greenish hue in the otherwise soulless orbless holes of their eyes.

Down the line he heard a non-commissioned officer screaming through his helms comlink, "Command, we're in danger of being overrun. We need close range artillery fire now!"

"How close front?"

"Right on top of us sir!"

They heard the roar of the artillery before it hit, but when it did it was a mass of small explosions, peppering the Necron force and ripping several warriors apart. A Destroyer was hit head on, top half exploding before it fell to the ground with a heavy clunk. Yet the warriors continued to advance, and when they went over the top into the trenches the situation went from a battle to a slaughter. Men and women were hit by their gauss weaponry at close range, literarily turning into screaming burning husks.

Getts aimed a shot at a Necron, taking off its left leg, it fell to the ground, still for a moment before it began to crawl to the line. Getts took off its head with another shot, and heard a sizzle as the disruptor overheated.

"Retreat!"

"Sound the withdrawal!"

The armoured vehicles were already backpedalling, continuing to fire as the Battalion abandoned their positions and fled from the still advancing Necron army. It wasn't a tactical withdrawal like command wanted it. It was a rout. Getts issued a withdrawal to his platoon, and then abandoned his position on the line. He already heard the whistles and roars of artillery shells as they soared overhead.

* * *

"_Broken arrow, I say again, broken arrow!"_

"_The line has been broken, enemy troops are pouring through!"_

"_Command this is battle-group east, Necron forces are continuing to pour through the entrance, we need immed – ACK!"_

"We are losing ground sir!"

"Battalion reports men being cut down left and right, artillery is having little effect!"

"Necron army is advancing!"

Gabriel listened to the reports and took them in stride, "What are your orders, General!"

The Jedi Master turned Alliance General took a deep breath before issuing the command. "Send special support request to _Guardian _control, code word _Broken arrow_ to all combat points, level five strike packages requested."

"Yes sir."

"What does that mean General?"

Gabriel looked at the Eldar procession, noticing the Farseer remove her helm from her head. "It means strap in boys and girls, because the heavy heat is coming."

On the bridge decks of the warships _Guardian, Resolute, Interceptor _and _Dauntless _droves of pilots, men and women, human and otherwise were flocking to their ships. Within mere moments a mass of fighters were making their way to the surface of the Thur'Ablis Plateau. A squadron of K-wings was the first to arrive on the scene.

The Necron had broken through all three blockades and large forces were slowly advancing through the dunes. Alliance and Eldar infantry and armour were performing tactical withdrawals to their more heavily defended secondary positions, firing continuous beams of blaster and shuriken fire as they went.

Immediately the K-wing heavy bombers executed sharp turns, bringing the advancing enemy in their sights. They passed by overhead, releasing their payloads of proton bombs, a field of flame and debris rose from their passing, throwing half destroyed Necron warriors and destroyers into the air. The bombing run only proved marginally effective however as those Necron not within the epicentre of the blasts simply stood back up or crawled forward, armoured forms peppered with potholes and dents.

The trio of K-wings was only the beginning, before long trios and quartets of X-wings, E-wings, TIE Interceptors and Defenders were swooping down from the skies like hawks, strafing the advancing enemy lines with streams of blaster cannon fire and proton torpedoes. More K-wings and Y-wings continued the blanket bombing runs, pummelling the still advancing surface of metal again and again.

Then they began returning fire. On the surface the emerging army raised their gauss weaponry and fired in a flurry of greenish beams. A TIE Interceptor was caught right in the cockpit, gauss blast melting through the canopy and burning through the pilot's armoured chest. The fighter fell into a steep, irreversible spinning freefall before slamming into the ground with a small blossom of fire.

Other than the few casualties taken with the opening bombardment the aerial units took very little damage, gauss fire becoming inaccurate as they returned for a second series of bombing and strafing runs. The Alliance had air superiority, driving away Tau and Imperial fighter craft with a mixture of acrobatics and small scale air skirmishes. There was no force in the immediate area who could challenge their air supremacy.

Or so they thought.

"_Guardian control _this is _Gold Leader._ We have exhausted our supply of bombs, request permission to return and rearm."

"_Copy that Gold Leader, permission granted."_

"Thank you command," Gold Leader, also known as Commander Tom Evans replied with a smile. He was about to take his squadron from the battle area when one of his pilots, Sub-Commander Jeremy Lafferty, also known as _Gold Two_, shouted through the squadron comlink.

"Uh, Commander I've got an approaching target, over?"

Evans frowned as he looked down at his own radar display. A trio of blips were coming towards them, and for a while the Commander considered them a glitch, no aerial unit could close at such a fast speed. His thoughts of it being a hoax were utterly destroyed when one of his bombers, _Gold Seven_, suddenly exploded in a shower of greenish flame.

"We lost _Gold Seven_."

"What the hell was that!"

"_Gold three, _to your left!"

Evans cranked his head to where his second wingman was positioned on his left hand side, eyes widening at what he saw. A single winged object, liquid metal hull glistening in the sun was flying alongside his wingman, keeping astride his larger bomber with minimal effort. The vessel was only a couple of meters in length, nowhere near large enough for a pilot. Perhaps it was a drone?

One moment the drone and his wingman were flying side by side, the next it fiercely reduced its speed, and with a barrel roll brought itself directly behind _Gold Three_, firing a stream of greenish lasers from below its head. The K-wing took a second of bombardment before it exploded in a shower of burning metal and fire.

"_Holy shit!"_

"_Guardian Gold Leader _to all fighter squadrons, we are under attack!"

There was a moment of silence, broken when _Gold Four _went up in a shower of fire and metal. _"Copy that Gold Leader, heading to intercept!"_

"_Blue Squadron engage!"_

X-wing fighters fell from the sky, firing at will upon the small liquid silver drones who immediately broke off from their attack run to engage them. He saw an X-wing blossom into a mass of fire before bringing his bomber up into a steep climb, shouting at the remnants of his squadron to do the same.

"_Green squadron engaging!"_

"_By the Force they're everywhere!"_

"_Sith me they're fast!"_

"_Red Squadron engage!"_

"_Mayday, may – HUK!"_

"_Guardian control this is Red Leader, enemy forces have atmospheric craft I repeat enemy forces have atmospheric craft!"_

* * *

Falkirk was pretty proud with the fact that he was getting used to these Eldar Rangers, not even tensing up anymore when one of them appeared as if out of thin air courtesy of his stealth cloak. He had even learned a few names. The leader of this small team was Delshan, apparently a veteran of his art. His second in command was another male named Mahou, and the young female by his side, obviously a novice in their practise was a testy little thing called Mila.

It was Delshan who appeared by his side, deactivated his cloaks invisibility by removing the hood from his slender shoulders, revealing nothing more than a sharp and intricately designed silver mask with slit eye holes. "We have company."

Falkirk looked at him for a moment, "Were and how many?"

"Imperial Mon'Keigh, six or seven of them," The Eldar replied. "By armour and weaponry best guess is that they're commandoes."

"I had heard the Imperium sent a strike force here before we arrived," Chance mused on it for a moment before turning his gaze back to the Ranger. "Where are they?"

"Ahead of us,"

"Can we go around them?"

"That would waste more time."

Falkirk agreed, they had already wasted precious moments in finding a way around the main passage, to try and find an alternate route to an alternate route would take perhaps far too much time for the ground forces to handle, and by the obvious shaking of an orbital bombardment above they weren't doing very well.

"What would you suggest?"

"Take them out." The words were spoken with a cold and dismissive tone, like to this Eldar the Humans ahead of them were mere insects to be stamped on.

"But they are elites, and skirmishing with them would attract unwanted attention." Exchanging blaster fire with these elites would definitely alert the Necron to their presence, something the Major wanted avoided at all costs.

The Ranger shrugged, "We are simply here as your guides, the main decisions are up to you."

Somehow Chance doubted that. "There's an antechamber up ahead?"

"Yes."

"And they'll be passing by there?"

"Undoubtedly, it's their only route."

He turned to see one of his troopers, no, not one of his troopers, his new superior walking up towards him. He had been against her coming along, mainly because a person with her new rank should be kept as far away from the main fighting as possible. He supposed trying to out-argue a Jedi was pointless, "Yes Brigadier General?"

He knew she was frowning at him, and that thought brought a smile to his face. "Don't call me that."

"It is your title, ma'am."

"That's better."

He looked at her with a puzzled expression before frowning right back at her. "So what is it?"

"I have an idea."

* * *

His men had been through hell, there was no denying that.

The whole operation had been a disaster since the moment they entered the caves. At the beginning he lead a platoons worth of soldiers, eighteen battle hardened veterans of the Cadian Kasrkin elite guard. These men had been with him for years, had fought against the likes of the Orks, the Eldar, the traitors of the eight pointed star and even the Tyranid swarms.

They had been through it all, and thought they knew everything. Five minutes with these soulless monsters had proved that they didn't know everything. In the first engagement he had lost five men, good men, brave men and in the last two days in these deep black underground catacombs he had lost an additional six men.

The seven survivors were all on edge, every muscle in their bodies coiled like springs, some were almost to the point of breaking down, jumping at every shadow and sound, nerves wrecked and sleep deprivation slowly taking it unbearable toll. From his transceiver he could even hear some of his lads uttering prayers and litanies, almost begging the holy Emperor to save them.

At the beginning he had been set on completing the mission and little else, but now Sergeant Jordan Vasquez, originally a Guardsman with the 110th Cadian Guards Regiment had changed his objective. He needed to get his men out of here before they went mad. The darkness and an enemy who seemed to materialise from the shadows was slowing driving everyone in his command to the very edges of madness.

Now he had ordered his small force to stop because apparently something was blocking their exit. The antechamber before them had apparently been taken up by a single man, according to his scout he was dressed from head to toe in black armour with unfamiliar weapons and symbols. Even more puzzling was the fact that he was sitting cross legged in the centre of the chamber, weapon placed in front of him.

"And you've never seen anything like him before?"

His scout, Corporal Chuck Mendez shook his head. "No sir, at first I thought he was an Inquisition Storm Trooper, but the armour and glyphs are completely different. There is no one within the Imperial Guard or otherwise who wears such attire."

"Did he notice you?"

"He looked in my general direction," Mendez replied a little uncertainly. "Then he returned to his usual seated position. It's almost as if he's waiting for us."

Vasquez frowned, it sounded like a trap to lure them into the open. But the more he thought about it the more he considered how useless it would be. His men knew who they were fighting against, and to his knowledge the Necron had no organic followers, at least not here anyway. If they wanted to trap them they should have used a wounded soldier, not an unknown warrior sitting in the middle of their passageway.

"What do you want to do, sir?"

"I'll go in, alone." The Sergeant replied, raising his hand to stall the arguments he knew were coming. Truth be told even he didn't know why he was making this decision, maybe in some small part of his psyche he wanted it all to end. "I want sharpshooters ready, and the rest of you take up positions to keep my ass covered. If this unknown person makes any threatening moves then shoot him."

He stood up and began walking, well aware that his men rushed past him with military precision, setting up firing positions in whatever nearby cover they could find. Holding his specialised lasgun idly in his hand he walked out into the chamber without missing a stride, feeling vulnerable now that he was out on open ground. The Corporals report was spot on. The figure sat cross legged in the centre of the antechamber, head covered in a black armoured helm looked up to survey him as he approached.

He stopped four steps away from the man, and noticed immediately that he was a she. The body hugging armour she wore showed some subtle curves along the chest area and a more slender gait, specially designed armour for the female form. The soldier eyed him for a moment, before standing up. It was only then that the Sergeant noticed the silver hilt attached to the woman's utility belt.

"Finally," she stated, even with the helms receiver distorting her voice the Sergeant heard a honeyed and sensual tone. "I was wondering when you were going to meet me."

"Who are you." The Sergeant was blunt, but he saw no reason to stall for time.

"Before we get to that know that I have a platoon of special forces troops protecting me from every angle, if I get hit they will kill you." The woman replied, crossing her arms under her chest. "I am Jedi Knight Dani Blue, and I have a proposition for you and your men."

Vasquez frowned, eyes darting left and right in search of the snipers she had warned him about. "What kind of proposition?"

"An alliance," she replied simply.

"An alliance?"

"A temporary one, of course." She added. "We are both here with the same objective."

"Which is?"

"Trapping the Necron army in their tombs," Dani looked at him, though it was hard to tell by the helmet she wore. "Why else would you and your men be down here. Work with us, help us plant the bombs and eliminate these Necron as a threat."

"What do we get in return?" he asked, barely able to keep his predatory growl in check.

"Safe passage back to your own lines," she replied. "As well as the knowledge that you saved this planet, your comrades, perhaps the entire sector from the awakening of a Tomb world."

* * *

Beyond the entrances to the tombs was a small maze of mountain passes and fissures in the earth. The positions were strategically perfect for ambushes and that was exactly what the retreating allied forces did. Eldar Dire Avengers waited patiently at certain easily defended points, pummelling the approaching Necron infantry with shuriken fire before retreating under a hail of Alliance artillery shells.

The ambushes were definitely slowing the Necron advance. Gabriel knew this as he watched a squad of Dark Reaper heavy infantry unleash a five second barrage of fire from their heavy Reaper Launchers before retreating under the cover fire of a platoon of Alliance Troopers. The Alliance Troopers kept up their barrage for five seconds after the Reapers were clear before retreating under the cover fire of a mixture of Alliance Troopers, Dire Avengers and a hovering Falcon Gravity Tank.

Eldar Jetbikes fell from the skies in a seven ship v formation, peppering the advancing warriors with streams of shuriken fire before peeling off and climbing. A K-wing bomber followed them, carpet bombing the strafed Necron before following suit. Green lances of gauss weaponry responded, piercing the skies as they attempted to bring down the aerial annoyance.

Gabriel leaned against the table, watching the battle continue to unfold and straining with all his might not to leave the command centre and lead his men from the front. Dani was right in the thick of it, even though he knew she was safe among the ranks of the SpecForce commandoes, as safe as could be when behind-enemy-lines anyway.

With a wave of his hand he changed the venue from the fight in the corridor to fifty meters ahead of it, noticing with a smile a line of Alliance TX-130 Fighter Tanks already in position and firing upon the Necron force, beams of crimson laser fire piercing armour with precision. Three AT-AT walkers were right behind them, higher blaster cannons also opening up.

"The plan appears to be working." Taldeer stated as she came to stand beside him. She had taken off her helm when the battle began, showing the Jedi a long mane of straight black hair, pale skin and equally crimson eyes. There was an ethereal beauty about her, he had to admit that.

"Working as well as we could have hoped," Gabriel responded. "But our aerial forces are struggling to keep the drones under control. We have aerial superiority for now, but if we don't find out where they're launching from soon it'll be another story."

Taldeer nodded her head as she leaned forward, hand keeping her raven locks from falling across her field of view. "I have already sent out Jetbike search squadrons to look for any openings where they're fighters are coming from. Once the launch sites are discovered would it be possible to have one of your Star Destroyers initiate an orbital strike?"

"It depends on the position." Gabriel frowned. "But yes, if your forces can sniff out the launch areas then a Star Destroyer could bombard the position."

The withdrawing Troopers had managed to pass the line of tanks by now, who continued to fire on the enemy for a handful of seconds before performing a retreat themselves. Hover tanks and AT-AT walkers backed up under a defensive shield of artillery fire.

So far the diversion seemed to be going well.

Gabriel frowned when he noticed movement at the peak of the plateau and with a wave of his hand brought the orbital camera to the position. The rocky ground was heaving, pieces of debris falling from the anomaly in miniature landslides. Then the rocky surface exploded in a mass of debris and dust, hiding whatever was forcing its way from the surface from view for a few moments.

The Jedi watched curiously as the object came into focus, reminding him somewhat of a small triangular temple, barrels of gauss weaponry clearly visible on its sharp edges and a glowing green crystal near its top. It hovered over the hole it had created in its entrance for a handful of moments before firing an arc of green lightning into the air. The arc pierced straight through a passing by X-wing, which vanished in a detonation of green tinted fire.

Gabriel watched with a mixture of shock and fascination as the hovering temple began to move in the direction of one of the battles. "What in the name of the force is that?"

"Sound a retreat General." Taldeer said with a hint of urgency in her usually calm voice. Gabriel looked over to see her crimson orbs transfixed on the temple, slightly widened.

"Why is that?"

"Because that is a Monolith," Taldeer replied, looking over at him. "And if that gets anywhere near our forces there will be a slaughter."

Gabriel had heard of a Monolith from the reports, and immediately started barking out orders for his troopers on the ground to speed up their retreat. A Monolith was perhaps one of the most devastating weapons the Necron could field, capable of wiping out entire armies with its impressive amount of weaponry. He wasn't sure if those reports were over-exaggerated or not, but he was not going to let his men become the guinea pigs to test it out.

"Call _Guardian _control, ask for a Strike Package Alpha on that Monolith." Gabriel ordered briskly. "Do we have any artillery near the vicinity?"

"Yes sir, but they're covering the retreat."

"Reroute half of those guns to target the Monolith."

* * *

The Imperial Troops had definitely been down here for a while. Falkirk was positive of this. Their fatigues were torn, covered in several days' worth of dirt and sweat, which meant that they stunk like fresh Bantha poodoo. What carapace armour they wore over their ripped and torn fatigues were dull, chipped and blackened with scorch marks from near misses.

They were obviously exhausted, features sunken and deep dark bags under their eyes, but adrenaline and fear kept them wide awake. The Necron had apparently been snipping on their heels for days, picking off their number one by one in the pitch darkness of the caves. They had been through hell, plain and simple.

Yet the Major didn't let his guard down around them, and he knew that his commandoes hadn't let their guard down either. The looks they were getting even when they were looking straight at them only showed suspicion and near borderline hostility. Leers and glares had been exchanged on more than one occasion, though luckily no one had decided to start a fight yet.

It was a good idea for the Rangers to hide themselves behind their stealth cloaks, he realised.

The Major took a deep breath and brought his attention back to the mission at hand, frowning as he did. They had been in these caves for the better part of an hour and besides accidentally stumbling across the main Necron forces they had not come across a single hostile since. Not a single one. Either the Necron didn't see them as a threat or they were laying a trap somewhere. Falkirk was willing to go for the latter.

"We're coming up on the position." He said as he raised his hand, ordering the small column of Kasrkins, SpecForce and hidden Rangers to a stop. He tapped the rune on the side of his helm, bringing up the secure blanket frequency for all infiltration teams and sending a small series of clicks through, in code it meant.

_Alpha unit to all teams, we're coming up on the target._

There was a few moments of silence before replies came, one by one.

_This is Bravo unit, target within sight, planting bombs now;_

_Charlie unit to Alpha, one minute from objective;_

_Fox unit, two minutes to target;_

_Echo unit reporting, almost there;_

_Delta unit, three minutes out;_

"Ma'am, all units report nearing their objectives," Falkirk reported to a woman who was nearly ten years his junior.

Dani turned and nodded her helmeted head. "Thank you Major, keep your ears open."

The ranks of Kasrkins, SpecForce and Rangers continued moving deeper into the tombs for another three minutes before Falkirk raised his fist for the taskforce to stop. The target area was a small antechamber, perhaps ten meters by twenty and obviously containing some of the main supporting walls of the tombs according to the data feed. Immediately his commandoes set up a perimeter around the area, and the Imperials followed their example with flawless military precision.

The only ones who didn't move were Dani, Falkirk and the Kasrkin Sergeant, Vasquez, watching as his two technical specialists set up the small thermo nuclear device. The Sergeant spoke in a gruff voice. "Is this thing going to be enough to take down the supporting wall?"

"Undoubtedly," The Major replied, hands on his rifle and eyes alert. "My team used that exact same device to cave in a Yuuzhan Vong battalion hiding in the caves of Rhen Var. Completely destroyed the caves and killed all of the scar-faces. It'll work."

The Sergeant gave the Major a perturbed look. "I've never heard of a planet called Rhen Var."

"It's a place well away from your borders, Sergeant. " Falkirk replied simply.

The Kasrkin looked between the two black armoured Alliance troopers. "Who are you people? I've never seen the emblems you wear or the uniform."

"We're elites of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances." Dani replied, but didn't go any further. The Sergeant looked in her direction with a frown.

"And this Alliance is where?"

"You don't need to know where we come from Sergeant." Falkirk replied. "That's how we would like to keep it."

The Sergeant gave Falkirk a calculating gaze which the Major ignored as he watched his technicians work. The Sergeant wasn't done yet though. "I'm guessing your humans. Why do you not want to tell us where you hail from? The Imperium seeks to unite all human domains under a single banner for mutual protection."

"Because we do not require the Imperium's protection," Falkirk replied. "The GFFA is not from this galaxy, and they are not assailed by enemies on all sides. We are simply a group who have lost our way and are trying to return home. That is all."

Vasquez looked like he was about to argue further, but a piercing scream cut him off, followed by the sounds of las and blaster fire. The three officers turned in time to see a Kasrkin hit the floor, blood pooling onto the harsh rock and chest pierced by a quicksilver scythe-like blade.

A single shout echoed through the caves.

"WRAITHS!"

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **_Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story.

_**Author's Note 2: **_I hope I got the battle down right for all of you nerds out there, both Star Wars and Warhammer alike. I'm not a hundred percent sure I got the interaction between the SpecForce and Kasrkins right or if there was room for improvement. Let me know.


	16. Depths of Hell

_**Chapter 15**_

_**Depths of Hell**_

The wraith was definitely a Necron, bearing that same skeletal head and liquid metal body, yet its shoulders were broader and spindly arms ended in three digit razor sharp scythe-like claws that looked capable of cutting through heavy armour with minimal effort. Instead of legs its body continued on with a serpentine tail with blade like spinal protrusions. A truly menacing creature in every sense of the word.

Blaster and las fire converged upon the creature, only to faze through and slam into the far wall of stone as it seemed to become intangible and disappear into the dark. Another came, this time right behind the perimeter of Special Forces troopers, aiming its long thin claws right at Falkirks head.

There was a _snap-hiss_, and a dim violet hue coated the walls of the cave as Dani moved, planting herself between the Major and the advancing monstrosity. With a diagonal slash she cut her blade from left shoulder to right waist, leaving a paper thin trail of glowing flame along the liquid silver carapace.

The wraith went stock still before falling forward, hitting the ground with a metallic thud. There was a moment of silence, followed by an echoing bang as the Kasrkin Sergeant drew his sidearm, a bolt pistol, and put a single round into the fallen wraiths skull, blasting it to pieces. Neither the Jedi nor the Major were able to question him on his actions as more wraiths phased into existence, diving for SpecForce and Kasrkin alike. Blaster and las fire met them in a hail of crimson.

"Is the bomb prepped?"

It was Dani who spoke, lightsaber in hand as she backed up a couple of steps, both Falkirk and Vasquez were firing at will upon the illusive wraiths, blaster carbine and hellgun releasing torrents of crimson energy as its wielders used them with precision. All around them the Alliance and Imperial soldiers were clustering into defensive groups and cutting lose with wave after wave of weapons fire.

"Yes, ma'am," one of the technicians reported from his place, un-slinging a blaster carbine from his shoulder and firing a few rounds. "We have thirty minutes before this place goes sky high."

"Then there's no time to lose," Dani replied without hesitation. "We need to clear a path, get the thermals!"

Three Specs nodded before shouldering their carbines and pulling thermal detonators from their satchels. They thumbed the small spheres before tossing them at the largest concentration of wraiths. There was a moment of silence before they went off, annihilating the two wraiths nearest to them and atomising half of another.

"Move!"

They did move, SpecForce and Kasrkin alike made a beeline for the passage way, firing sporadically with their blaster and las weapons as they went. Dani, Vasquez and Falkirk were right behind them, the Jedi Knight ducking a slash from one of the wraiths, stabbing her violet blade into its skull before moving on without missing a beat.

Another wraith followed after her, scythe-like claws ready to pierce armour and flesh, only a mass of paper thin shuriken blasts soared past her faster than the eye could see, peppering the wraith with paper thin holes before it fell over. Dani exhaled a breath, unconsciously thanking the Rangers watching their backs.

Falkirk was already hitting his comlink transceiver, sending a small series of clicks through the airwaves, simple and precise.

_Report;_

All he got in return was a mass of clicks, all saying the same thing.

_Heavily engaged;_

The Major sent a small series of clicks over the comlink channel.

_Plant bombs and bug out;_

He received nothing more than a mass of affirmatives in response.

He continued to run, well aware that their opponents were already well in pursuit, making sure no one was behind him he pulled another thermal detonator from his belt, thumbed it on and tossed it behind him into the corridor. There was a moment of nothing before the grenade went off, creating enough force to cave in the passage behind them in a mass of debris and stone.

The allied infiltration team continued to run until they reached the next antechamber, before stopping to get some rest. Men were doubling over, hands on their knees taking in deep gasps of air. They were like that for several heart beats before it all went to hell. The Kasrkins snapped their weapons on Falkirk and Dani, and within a bare millisecond the Specs responded with similar precision. The quiet of the caves was disturbed by two to three dozen weapons being cocked.

"Alright," Vasquez growled breathlessly. "Who the hell are you people?"

Falkirk took a quick calculation of their situation, six Kasrkins against fifteen Specs. The Imperials could take out a few of them before they riddled them with blaster bolts, a Jedi on their side only extended their chances in turns of less casualties.

There was a shimmer of light before their Eldar guides came into view, long barrelled shuriken sniper rifles aimed as the Kasrkin's heads. Correction, six Kasrkins and twenty one allied soldiers. "Not another move Mon'Keigh, or you'll see just how effective our rifles are."

"Allying with the _xenos_," The Kasrkin snarled the word as if it were a curse, "heresy of the highest order."

"Well they haven't led us astray so far, and think about the situation." Falkirk replied. "Who would we trust more, the people aiming at us or the people adding their rifles to ours?"

"Sergeant, think logically for a second." Dani cut in, laspistol aimed at her head while her deactivated lightsaber hilt was held to her assailant's chest. "We're in the middle of a Necron nest. They know where we are and we're pointing our guns at each other. Do you want me to draw you a fucking diagram?"

"What the General means is that our only chance at survival is together." Falkirk replied, pressing the trigger of his blaster carbine to within a millimetre of firing. "Either we fight together or we die together. As an elite soldier you should know that more than anyone."

There was a howl, low pitched and sounding almost like a wind was blowing through the cavernous chambers, but in the backs of their minds the strike force knew what it meant. It was one of the Eldar who reacted first, bringing their rifles to the caved in corridor and firing short bursts of shuriken fire.

"They're phasing through the walls!"

As one the Alliance and Imperial troopers turned their assorted weapons down the collapsed passage, confrontation forgotten as they poured crimson blasts of las and blaster fire into the cavern. The first wraith to phase through was literarily ripped to pieces, pierced by paper thin shuriken rounds and charred by blaster fire. The second managed to make it an additional seven feet before it suffered the same fate.

The third was another story. It phased through the rubble and then phased through the wall to its left, gaining nothing more than a black mark from a blaster bolt. It reappeared through the ceiling, unnoticed until it brought its tail down and pierced straight through the back of an Alliance Spec. The man screamed in agony, razor sharp tail poking out of his chest as he was hoisted into the air.

Dani jumped high, lightsaber once again ignited and with a simple slash cut the tail in half. The wraith screamed a deafening mechanic squeal before blaster, las and shuriken fire ripped through its heavily armoured torso and head. It fell in a smoking heap right in the middle of the formation.

The Specs medic was already beside his fallen comrade, shaking his head and ripping the dog-tags from around the dead commando's neck. Falkirk was already moving, shouldering his carbine as he brought himself within inches of the Sergeant. "Sergeant Vasquez."

The Kasrkin turned around and was thrown back by a well aimed punch to the jaw, dropping the man like a stone. Weapons were once again raised by both sides, but the Major didn't seem to care. He just stood over the fallen Sergeant, teeth grinding together.

"My man died because of your little display, Sergeant. We are leaving for the surface, if you want to come then come, if you don't then get the hell out of my sight!" He turned and stalked off, Specs and Jedi joining him. He made it ten steps before his voice resounded through the cave. "Delshon, get your Rangers in line!"

The Ranger seemed to hesitate for a moment, before sending a simple telepathic message to his four comrades to follow the Major's orders. The Eldar looked at the Kasrkins for a moment before lowering their rifles and once again vanishing as they activated their stealth cloaks.

The six Kasrkins were left alone in the chamber, waiting as their Sergeant rose to his feet, hand massaging his jaw. "The bastard has a good punch, I'll give him that."

"What's your orders sir?"

"Follow them," Vasquez replied, accepting his modified lasgun from one of his men as he spoke. "They're our best way out. I'll just have to pay that pussy Falkirk back with interest when we get out of here."

* * *

An X-wing streaked by, releasing a proton torpedo which hit the Monolith in a torrent of crimson flame. "That crystal in the middle is the source of its power, correct."

Taldeer nodded, "It is, but it is heavily shielded."

"What kind of firepower would it take to destroy that crystal?"

"Combined artillery and aerial assault for an extended period, or a quick orbital bombardment strike from one of your Star Destroyers."

Bombers were already falling from the sky in droves, pounding the huge construct with wave after wave of proton bombs and strafing fire. On the ground eight legged Self Propelled Medium Artillery Walkers, known more widely as SPMT's and more numerous Eldar artillery were pounding the approaching Monolith with long ranged lances of heavy laser cannon fire.

The Monolith took considerable damaged, yet it continued to hover towards the battle, firing jagged arcs of emerald lightning which destroyed any aircraft unlucky enough to be in its path. Already Gabriel could see that the artillery walkers were backpedalling in an attempt to keep themselves out of its field of fire.

"Order everyone to pull back," Gabriel ordered, before turning to his com officer. "Contact the nearest Star Destroyer and ask for a precise orbital strike upon that target."

"Yes sir."

Gabriel sighed deeply, before turning back to the Farseer. "Would an orbital strike work?"

The woman looked right at him for a moment, before closing her eyes and nodding her head. "It would in my estimation."

"Then that's what we'll do."

"General," the Jedi turned back to his com operator. "Main turbolaser batteries of the _Dauntless _have targeted the Monolith, awaiting your orders."

"Aerial units have withdrawn to a safe distance."

"Artillery has successfully withdrawn from the impact site."

"Fire."

There was a moment of silence before it came. Several lances of crimson fire pierced the sky, encompassing the temple like structure of the Monolith in incandescent light. Gabriel watched as the five second barrage brought down the behemoths shielding, the crystal shattering and the upper ramparts of the mobile fortress burning away. When the light cleared the Monolith fell to the ground, skidding across the rocky surface of the plateau before coming to a stop, smoking and burning.

There was a moment of silence before a senior officers voice resounded through the HQ. "Monolith destroyed."

Cheers arose through the camp, only to be silenced by Gabriel. "That's only the start boys and girls. We've still got an army to defeat!"

* * *

Blaster fire wasn't working.

Private First Class Hoshi Santali knew this with a cold chill creeping up her spine. Her platoon had been on the front line against these metal monsters ever since they had broken from their cavernous confines.

The platoon she was a member of, once an eighteen sentient strong force had been slowly whittled down to ten. Hoshi had been forced to watch friends flailed alive by the Necron gauss weaponry, watching as one of her oldest friends, Lukas Pavela was struck right in the back and literarily combusted in a mass of green fire. His agonised screams would haunt her nightmares for the rest of her life.

Now the remnants of her platoon were positioned on a third line of defences, hastily dug up fox holes barely knee deep, firing upon the advancing Necron infantry. Blaster bolts charring their armoured chests but little else. It took the combined fire of at least five men to bring one of these creatures down, and they never stayed down for long, not unless they were blasted to pieces.

The blaster carbine clicked empty and almost mechanically the young woman reached into one of her satchels for a fresh power pack, only to find nothing. She had used up every piece of ammunition she had. Power packs, grenades, even her combat knife had been blunted.

The Mirialan looked up at the still advancing monstrosities, the nearest one five meters away and moving in her general direction. She dropped her blaster, knowing that it would do no good. The Necron would kill her regardless of whether she was armed or not. The Private backed up, disappointed in herself when she began to sob.

It was impossible. There was no way they could defeat such a foe. They just kept killing them and killing them and they kept on coming. They walked, limped, even crawled forever forward. She saw one with its legs blown off force itself along with just its arms, another with its head dangling halfway down its back, still walking and shooting. They were like droids, knowing no fear or hesitation, taking insane amounts of damage which would kill any creature made of flesh and bone.

She took another backward step and fell, tripping over some stupid clump of rock in her foxhole and falling on her ass. She scrambled away, whimpering in fear as she saw the Necron slowly approach, first its head, then its chest cavity, arms holding that heavy gauss weapon which she knew would either burn her alive or blast out her insides.

Then her hand, covered in dirt and grime touched the barrel of a weapon, and looking back with manic eyes she saw the compact design of a Disruptor, gauge showing it to be able to fire several more rounds. Desperately Hoshi grappled for it, grabbed it and pointed it right at the Necron warrior as it reached the edge of her foxhole, pointing its glowing gauss rifle right at her.

Hoshi didn't even shoulder her new weapon. She simply pointed it in the things general direction, closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. There was a bang, vicious recoil which sent her sprawling on her back as the Disruptor fired a shot. She dropped the gun, brought her knees up to her chest and waited. She waited a second before hearing a dull thump of metal hitting the ground.

She opened her eyes to see the warrior lying on its back. Slowly Hoshi rose and looked across her foxhole, seeing a massive hole blown into the demons chest, still smoking. Hoshi didn't move, breathing hard, simply watching the Necron for a few moments before falling into a sitting position, looking at the weapon that saved her life.

She picked it up.

It worked.

The Disruptor actually worked.

* * *

It was insane.

It was completely insane.

Falkirk continued to run, knowing that his men and the Imperials were right on his heels as he rushed through the corridors, trusting in his helmets visual mapping displays to lead him to the exit. Dani was right ahead of him, lightsaber ignited as she ducked another wraith, this time phasing through the walls to take a swipe at her and ended up losing its head in return.

"Next right," he shouted ahead, well aware that his commander had the same maps as he did. Dani continued to run, making a sharp turn at the next corridor, ducked another needle like claw and cut the opposing wraith in half at the waist.

If she wasn't here then he'd have lost nearly a quarter of his men by now. By the force, and yes watching her move he was becoming a believer, he would never say anything bad about the Jedi or their mystical abilities ever again. He would apologise to Rachi and offer her free breakfast for the rest of his life.

They came into another antechamber. Dani stopped, and Falkirk almost collided with her. He looked at her questioningly, before turning his attention to the chamber. His blood almost froze in his veins. Three beings stood in the centre. The same liquid silver monstrosities they had been fighting, yet so different. They stood upright instead of staunched over, their armoured design was like a bastardisation of a more humanoid form, which made their appearance all the more chilling. In their hands were long poled scythes, ending in wicked long curved blades.

The temperature seemed to fall further than it already was, meaning the Major could see frost forming on the walls, stalactites and stalagmites. It wasn't until a Kasrkin came into the chamber that they gained a name, and the fear Falkirk heard in the battle hardened soldiers voice made the knot of dread in his stomach tighten to almost unbearable levels.

"Pariahs," one of them muttered in fear.

Another spoke, "By the Emperor, not them!"

"Defensive positions," Falkirk ordered, watching as his Specs moved with perfect synchrony, coming down to a knee or standing, aiming their blasters at the new enemy. "Get ready, aim-"

"Major." Dani cut in with a cool and calm voice, walking a few steps ahead of the formation, "I'm about to open a hole for you. When you see it, run!"

"Like hell we're leaving you here General."

"Don't argue with me, please." The Major was surprised and unnerved to hear the pleading in her voice. "These creatures are beyond you or your men. I can hold them for a few moments. Use that time to get away."

"Can you beat them?"

Dani took a deep breath, so deep Falkirk saw her chest heave. In a flash her hand grasped her helm, thumbing it open before pulling it off and throwing it to the side. Dark blue hair fell in waves, smooth pinkish skin became visible, and Chance could practically feel the Imperial Kasrkins tense up as she showed her lineage to them.

"I can't."

"Then we're not leaving."

"There's no point in all of us dying here." She cut him off with little effort, turning to him and flashing a brave smile. Stupid girl, he could see the fear in her eyes. "If I go out here then I'd feel at peace if I knew my death guaranteed your lives."

There was a shimmer of light, and the long barrel of an Eldar sniper rifle appeared over the Jedi Knights shoulders. Delshon stood behind her, rifle held to his shoulder as he aimed at the central Pariah. "Such an act of self-sacrifice from a lesser race really gets my blood boiling. Makes us Eldar look like cowards you see."

"Ranger," Dani whispered, for an instant torn between being insulted at being called a _lesser race _and honoured that the Eldar was going to fight for her. Her features soon hardened however. "There's no need for you or your people to die here either. I'll hold them off, you all go."

"Not likely, ma'am," Falkirk added as he came up beside her, aiming his blaster carbine at the same central statuesque Pariah. "We came down here together, and we're leaving together. While there is breath in our bodies we leave no man, woman, or Jedi behind."

Dani looked like she was going to protest. Mouth pressed in a thin line before she lowered her head and shook it. "You stupid fools."

"That's my line, Fiallathandirel." Delshon replied simply.

"Whatever he said." One of the specs added.

"What does that mean?" Another asked.

"It means _wall against evil_, Mon'Keigh." One of the Rangers replied as they too appeared from the air, sniper rifles shouldered, cocked and aimed.

"Well excuse me for not being an expert in your weird ass language." The same Spec shot back lightly. "And what does _Mon'Keigh _mean anyway?"

"Live through this and I'll tell you."

"You got a deal lady."

"Her names Mila," Falkirk shot back, smirking under his helm. "Stop fraternising with the only female Ranger Dirk. We all know you'll never get into her pants."

"Hey." The spec recognised at Dirk shouted in indignation.

"Excuse me," Mila raged, head snapping over to the Major to give him a venomous glare, hard to tell with those masks in place.

There was an exasperated sigh before a bolt pistol joined the weapons aimed at the still statuesque Pariahs. Sergeant Vasquez glared openly at the three other de facto leaders of the bastardised alliance. "We'll deal with you lot after we kill all of these Necron scourges."

The Pariahs took the chance to move, walking towards them. The one in the centre in a straight line while the two on his flanks fanned out, their long poled war scythes at the ready.

Dani looked at the four man command group. "Ready?"

At their nods she flew forward, lightsaber ignited while the Rangers, Kasrkins and SpecForce Commandoes opened fire as one, sending hails of blaster fire, shuriken shards and las beams right into the now running Necron. Dani engaged the central Pariah, lightsaber and war scythe coming together in a hail of sparks as the mashed up platoon behind her halved their fire on the other two.

Ten minutes till the bombs went off.

Five minutes to reach their exit.

That gave them five minutes to kill these bastards.

* * *

The Necron continued to advance with a cold hardness unseen in anything made of flesh and blood. So far the allied forces of the Alliance and Eldar were able to keep them mostly contained in the plateau, precise artillery and relentless air support being vital in keeping the undead warriors back.

The main openings releasing the enemy's drones had been found and mercilessly bombarded from both aerial bombing runs and orbital strikes from the Star Destroyers in deep orbit. Taldeer had to admit that the ordeal would have been much more difficult if they did not have the streamlined vessels at their disposal. The drones would still be plaguing the skies. The Necron Monolith would have wrought considerably more casualties among the allied forces before it had been brutally taken down.

But that trump card in the Alliances arsenal was utterly useless on the main fields of battle, where Ulthwe, Alliance and the Necron troops were too close together for a safe orbital assault. The casualties would have been immense and the very thought had been purged from the minds of the allied commanders.

She looked up from her place at the holotable, eyeing the General for the umpteenth time since the battle began. Gabriel Sabbath was an interesting creature, obviously not a soldier yet more than comfortable in taking the reins of command. His decision making was precise, showing that there was a good tactical mind and a solid will. For a monk this Mon'Keigh was shaping up to be an impressive commander.

The HQ was a fairly large room, nestled within a mobile command centre, a large walker that these Alliance types called an AT-MC, All Terrain Mobile Command vehicle. It was almost as large as one of their AT-AT walkers, but its legs were shorter and its form was bulkier, more armoured. The Jedi told her that it was an improvement on a more ancient walker design called an AT-TE, All Terrain Tactical Enforcer.

Taldeer had brought three members of her Seer Council to help coordinate the battle, leaving the rest in their main base in the Tyrea Mountains to help coordinate their defence against an inevitable onslaught. The Space Marines of the Blood Ravens were reportedly on the move, setting up a sizable force against her base of operations. She needed to finish these Necron quickly before coordinating a retreat from the planet. Once the Necron were dealt with there was no need for her force to remain.

That was a secondary objective. The more pressing issue was keeping these Necron preoccupied and allowing the strike teams to complete their mission. The bombs had been planted, and the clock was slowly ticking away to their inevitable detonation.

"Move the AT-AT's forward," Gabriel ordered, features scrunched up in concentration. "I want artillery and aerial support at its maximum efficiency. Do not give them breathing room, drive them back!"

The Farseer looked down at the holotable, watching as a diagonal line of K-wing bombers swooped over the battle zone, releasing a blanket of proton bombs upon the Necron infantry. When they cleared the artillery shelling continued, and the allied infantry and armour were slowly but surely holding them tight within the plateau.

It was coming at a cost though.

A heavy cost.

* * *

She was lying on the ground, eyes lifeless as they looked up at the blue skies, chestnut hair fanned out. She looked so beautiful in death, marred by the gapping bloodied hole in her chest. Exarch Ambrosia knelt before her fallen comrade of the Howling Banshees, closing her eyes and uttering a silent prayer to whatever Eldar god was listening before gripping her spirit stone and ripping it from around her neck, pocketing the gleaming jewel which now housed her dead friend's immortal soul in one of her satchels.

The veteran Aspect Warrior roared a fierce battle cry as she jumped back into the fray, gleaming witchblades a blur of motion as she sliced a Necron warrior into three pieces. The Exarch of the Howling Banshees continued to move with blurring speed and precision, blades shimmering as they cut through liquid metal with ease born from a century of continuous combat.

The Necron were far too close to the lines for her to rest. Howling Banshees and Striking Scorpions were right in the middle of the ranks of the hated abominations, Witchblades, Scorpion Chain-swords, Mirrorswords and Executioner glaives hacking and cutting in beautiful arcs of fluent dance and motion. This was true combat, not the quiet pangs of shuriken weapons or the harsh rackety coughs of blaster rifles but the sharp slicing motions of a blade through steel, silent, deadly and ferocious.

Ambrosia was an Exarch, destined to wander the path of the warrior. In youth she had been a creature of beauty and innocence, known for her flowing crimson hair, pale skin untouched by a planets sun and shimmering eyes of purest purple. Now those eyes were as deep as the abyss, her hair was the same colour as the blood she had spilled countless times and her pale skin was so soaked in blood she saw it in her sleep. She had given herself to her path, she was a fighter of the Bloody-Handed God until her dying breath.

Yet she knew it was not so. She would rejoice the lives of those who died this day, and then she would quietly mourn them in the solitude of her quarters. She would feel a heavy heart when she returned their soul stones to those who would place them in the infinity circuit, safe from the twisted grasp of the Chaos gods and She-who-Thirsts.

Killing had gotten easier with time, seeing those you ate, drank, slept and fought beside die before you never got any easier. It almost made her want to shut herself off from those below her, to completely give herself to the shrine of the Aspect Warriors known as the Howling Banshees. But she would not. She would continue to teach, continue to befriend until her time came. It was a weakness in her character that she had no initiative to lock away.

Helping them in their assault was a mass of mid to long range infantry. Aspect Warriors of the Dire Avengers, Dark Reapers and Fire Dragons fired with their vast array of weapons. More numerous Alliance Troopers adding the firepower of their more crude blaster and disruptor weaponry to the fray.

Falcon Gravity Tanks, Fire Prisms and Vypers gracefully bombarded the lines of Necron warrior and destroyer further back, while the arcane yet effective beams of light from Alliance AT-AT, AT-ST, DC-series Assault Droids and TX-130 Fighter Tanks only added onto their destruction. Jetbikes and Aspect Swooping Hawks strafed them while bigger and bulkier bombers and fighters utterly destroyed them.

Such an uncivilised way to fight was the Exarch's thought. The weapons and vehicles of this Galactic Alliance were not designed for the swiftness and grace of combat. They were simply designed to end the engagement with earth shattering firepower. It took all of the glory and joy away from the experience. The sense of accomplishment when you destroyed a soulless construct of metal with one's own hands was far greater than just pouring weapons fire at it until it stopped moving.

She saw an Alliance Trooper pick up a fallen Necron gauss rifle, aiming it at the nearest construct and pulling the trigger only for his form to spontaneously combust from his fingers to his hands to his arms to his chest to his entire body. All encompassed in unnatural green fire. Stupid creature, Necron were the only ones able to use such weapons, anyone else would be burned alive by the recoil. If he listened to the briefing he would have known that.

Luckily the rest of these Alliance creatures didn't seem to share that one's blatant stupidity.

She heard a cry of pain, and turned her head just in time to see another one of her sisters lying on the ground, left side of her body from her armoured shoulder to just above her waist charred by a gauss blast, arm nothing more than a mass of running liquid beside her. A Necron warrior stood over her, weapon drawn and aimed for her chest.

Ambrosia wasn't going to make it in time. She broke out in a run anyway, blades ready to cut the Necron to pieces the moment she reached her opponent. The construct may kill her sister, but the Exarch would avenge her. She made it three meters before noticing someone else beat her to the target.

Her wounded sister was thrown back, not by any physical assault, but almost as if some invisible entity picked her up and threw her across the field, missing the gauss blast by mere millimetres. She soared through the air, silent in her shock only for a dark blur to fly up from the ground, grab her in her descent and summersault to the ground, Banshee in his arms as he spun around and aimed a pistol straight at the opposing warrior.

He fired three shots, all hitting the killing machine right in the centre of its temple. The Necron seemed to spasm before it fell backwards, dropping its weapon as it hit the ground with a solid thump. The moment he hit the ground her sister's saviour was in a crouch, jumping back at a height and speed unnatural for any non-psycher to accomplish.

He vanished behind one of the Alliances foxholes before jumping back into the fray, cylindrical object in his hands which ignited, forming an emerald blade of incandescent light. He came upon another warrior, bringing the blade down in a straight arc which cut him from the top of its head to the bottom of its groan, neatly cutting the construct in half.

Ambrosia had heard rumours of the Jedi and their plasma based melee weapons, but nothing prepared her for seeing one appear out of thin air, save one of her sisters and kill two warriors in the time span of a minute. He was quick and precise, though not nearly as graceful as an Eldar. He turned to his troops, and with a triumphant voice shouted a simple command to them.

"Come on you apes. You wanna live forever!"

She found herself smiling slightly at his tone and spirit.

As the Alliance soldiers intensified their fire and shouted a unanimous roar of agreement the Howling Banshee Exarch shook her head and re-entered the fray, witchblades a blur as they mercilessly cut a Necron warriors arms from its body. There was a battle that still needed to be won, and she would not be killed on this field by a lack of concentration.

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story._

_**Author's Note 2: **__That 'Come on you Apes. You wanna live forever!' was a quote from the first Starship Troopers movie, I have always liked that scene as the troopers took up positions, surrounded and outnumbered by a hundred to one. I really liked that movie. The sequel kind of put me off seeing the third one though. So there is no trilogy in my book. It doesn't exist. There is just that one masterpiece movie._

_**Author's Note 3: **__I know I'm going to get flak from Alliance and Eldar working together, I've already gained a sample of it over the last few chapters. I have been getting some very passionate reviews on the subject that the Eldar shouldn't be trusted and the Alliance should run for the Imperium's protection with their tails between their collective legs. But I like the Eldar. They are my favourite faction in Warhammer 40K. Depending on the Craftworld they hail from they can be secretive, deceitful, manipulative and at times downright vicious, just like the Imperium can be secretive, deceitful, manipulative and almost always downright vicious. When I read the books and play the games I see both the Imperium of Man and the Eldar as two sides of the same coin, each one trying to manipulate and outmanoeuvre the other._

_**Author's Alert 4: **__I have also gained quite a few reviews which I have gained a couple of a hundred times before, mainly on the Chapter 'Silence Shattered' with the conversation between Inquisitor Jaeger and Admiral Halos. I know that the Imperium's stance on alien races is based on past experience where all non-human races they've come into contact with have tried to enslave, kill or conquer them, you don't have to remind me of that every single chapter where it is mentioned. But that was not what Halos was getting at. He wasn't defending those peoples the Imperium has fought in the past. He was defending the peoples of non-human origin within his own fleet. He didn't agree to hand himself over to the Inquisition because the evidence his agents gathered pointed out what would happen to his crews if the Imperium got their hands on them. He also took a chance with the Eldar because at that moment his fleet was cornered and they gave him a way out, a heat of the moment decision. It was risky but battles are won and lost over taking risks._


	17. The Cost of Favours II

_**Chapter 16**_

_**The Cost of Favours II**_

Hellgun, blaster and shuriken sniper fire echoed through the small chamber, flashing crimson and bright white as shards and beams scorched walls and brought out shadows in stark contrast. It was like watching someone flick through a book, creating an animation on a hundred sheets of paper which moved with every flick of the page.

Delshon was no stranger to fighting the Necron. The grizzled veteran had fought these ageless killers on three occasions beforehand and each time he had lost friends and comrades. He held no resentment to those who held the higher authority for losing those he held dear. The Necron were a force that needed to be stopped, for the sake of not just their people but the entire galaxy as a united whole.

Still in the back of his mind the Ranger wandered why he had just jumped into the fray, making the presences of not just him but his entire team known to the soulless elites of the ancient red harvesters. Why had he put his team in jeopardy when they could have snuck past them and escaped?

The answer was obvious.

That woman, the Jedi, the moment she stood between the Pariah menace and her own troops. The moment she removed her helmet and told them to escape had brought Delshon to another battlefield on another world many years ago. If anyone asked the members of his team if they're leader had ever shown any emotion outside of cold indifference and calculation they would have scoffed at the notion, even laughed. He had shown them nothing but the cold, calculating exterior.

He would never tell them that he had been in love once, or that it had been with the one who held the title he now held. It had been many years ago and yet after so long he still remembered her as clear as day. She was and always would be beautiful to his memory. The way her armour fit snugly to her, the long raven hair which billowed in the wind, pale skin, marred by the occasional scar, brilliant sapphire eyes which shone like the dawning sun.

When she looked at him it held the softness of a lover, which haunted him to this day. It wasn't the Necron they had been fighting but the Imperium and their infamous Space Marines, Black Templar, if he remembered. They were trying to stop a Daemon-Prince from awakening and the foolish Mon'Kiegh didn't notice, they surrounded their unit, and she volunteered to stay and buy them time.

A suicide mission.

"_I will hold them. The title is passed to you." She said and then leaned forward, kissing him. She leaned back, smiling a sad yet content smile. "Go Del, Live for the both of us."_

Those eyes, he saw the same eyes on that Jedi when she told them to run and he couldn't stand it. That was why he made himself known. He felt the presence of Salica in her voice and acted upon it without hesitation.

He was getting old and senile.

The Pariah was right in the middle to them then, cutting through a SpecForce soldiers with his war scythe as if it were child's play. Delshon discarded his rifle, reaching to the small of his back to draw two small mirrorblades, beautiful creations of shimmering liquid silver, pummels and guards of gold and a crimson ruby etched into the butt. Not standard issue, but as a veteran Ranger one had to be prepared for any irregularities.

He crossed his blades as the Necron brought its war scythe down, a hail of sparks christening the meeting of their weapons. The veteran Ranger grunted as he was forced back, skidding across the rough rock as the Pariah brought its greater strength into the confrontation. Those few seconds where white mask met empty eye sockets was all that was needed. Pariahs were quick and precise, but if grounded they could be killed.

Blaster, las and shuriken fire peppered the Necron elite from all sides, scorching his once brilliant armour and filling it with paper thin holes. The Pariah stood stock still, as if still trying to win its test of endurance with the veteran Ranger, before falling to the ground as a lifeless husk. Delshon didn't hesitate, holstering his blades before picking up his sniper rifle and aiming it right for the undead constructs head. He pulled the trigger not once but four times, each shot leaving a paper thin hole right in the centre of its skull.

He relaxed, breathing a sigh of reprieve even as he reached up to massage the pendants hung around his neck, both of them. The second gem shone with an ethereal light as it sang with joy. He allowed a small smile. Salica was relieved.

He turned to see the Jedi having trouble with her own opponent. The Pariah was coming forward, swinging its war scythe in steady and precise arcs at such a speed that the young one before him was having difficulty keeping up. Barely able to deflect and block his advances much less counter them. He came down to a knee, aimed his rifle and fired three shots, all blocked by a simple swing of the Pariahs war scythe.

The third one was wreaking havoc among the Mon'Keigh, slicing a Kasrkin neatly in half at the waist before spinning, cutting a diagonal line across a Specs chest from left shoulder to right thigh. Delshon advanced, firing a few more rounds as he went. One was intercepted, another went straight through its armoured thigh and a third ricocheted off its right side.

There was a horrible bang. An ugly cough which could have only came from a bolt pistol. The rounds caught the Necron right on its right side, blasting its arm off its form at the elbow and spinning it around in a three hundred and sixty degree circle. The combined blaster, las, shuriken and bolter fire did the rest and when the Pariah hit the ground its once gleaming liquid silver form was marred with holes, both gapping and paper thin and scorch marks from dozens of direct hits.

The Mon'Keigh, Vasquez, wasted no time in walking up to the downed elite and blasting its head into pieces with a single discharge of his bolt pistol, ugly, messy but effective ammunition. Anyone hit by a blast of those weapons never got up again.

Two down, one to go.

Or so he thought.

He spun around, falling to a knee and raising his shuriken rifle only to see that his worries were unfounded. The Jedi feigned a high strike before cutting low, slicing the Pariahs legs off with her lightsaber. When he fell on his back she looped the blade around in a graceful display of motion, stabbing the violet blade right through the elite's chest. It went rigid before going limp on the ground, dead for the moment.

She looked up at them, eyes hard, chest heaving and sweat running down her exposed skin. Two words left her lips, soft yet resounding and final. "Exit. Now!"

That same low level screech pierced his hearing and looking around the veteran Ranger saw wraiths phase through the walls and come right at them, long needle like claws extended and tails flailing. Already the taskforce was bringing their weapons around to meet them, clacks of las and blaster fire as well as the gentle cough of shuriken rounds echoed through the chamber.

Delshon watched as one of his Rangers was pierced through the chest, coughing up blood before being torn apart in an explosion of blood and cartilage by a mass of descending needle like claws. His soul stone flew up into the air, gleaming a beautiful blue in the dark before a needle like appendage pierced and shattered it. Delshon felt a soul scream in agony as it fell into the Warp, dragged into an eternal sea of blood and madness.

Mila looked on, eyes wide in shock before releasing a scream of rage, shouldering her rifle to fire upon the writhing mass of wraiths still tearing and ripping at their friends body. He was unable to warn her of the wraith which phased through the wall behind her, or the three bladed claws that swiped across her chest, cutting through armour and drawing blood. The woman, no child, cried out in pain as she fell, wraith following her like a twisted shadow, blade like claws ready to plunge.

No, not another one was all the veteran Ranger could think before he shouldered his rifle, aiming it for the wraiths head. Mila was young and impulsive, too emotional for her own good and easily teased. She was a breath of fresh air to his unit. Losing the new recruit would be a dreadful blow to the rest, especially since the elder Ranger had gained affection for her, as had the rest, like a baby sister among older brothers.

Blaster fire echoed through the cave, peppering the wraiths chest and forcing it back. A Spec was by her side in an instant, putting his arms around her and dragging her from the Necron. She put up no resistance, and he was thankful. Blaster and shuriken fire fell upon the wraith in a hail, turning its liquid silver armour black and full of holes.

"Why?" he heard his youngest croak.

He could swear he felt the Spec smile as he shouldered his carbine and, placing his arms around her picked her up like a groom carrying a bride, making a beeline for the exit. "I ain't going to let you break that promise."

Dani was ahead of him now, looking every bit the young heroine as she yelled a simple order. "Fall back to the exit, fall back!"

He fired several more rounds, covering the Spec carrying his youngest subordinate, before performing a tactical retreat for the corridor. Specs and Kasrkins were doing the same, yet he saw six bodies left behind, two Kasrkins, three Specs and the remains of his Ranger, dog tags torn from their necks in a way almost unnaturally similar to how they took the soul stones of the fallen.

Weapons fire was released sporadically as the allied unit fell back into the cave. The Jedi was the last to join them, running ten steps into the passage before spinning around to face the soaring wraiths coming right at them. She took a deep breath, raised her hands and clenched her fists. There was a moment of silence before hairline cracks began to appear in the ceiling of the corridor, small at first but growing in size until it became a spider's web of patterns. Dani Blue, Jedi Knight, took a deep breath, face set in concentration before releasing a roar and bringing her clutched fists down. The corridor before her caved in, masses of rock and rubble blocking the path between them and the Necron, crushing at least three wraiths, barely a second away from piercing her.

There was a moment of silence before the young woman staggered through the dust into view. She looked tired and worn, making a physical effort to put one foot in front of the other. Falkirk was by her side in an instant and ignoring her feeble protests made her use him for support as the Spec half carried, half dragged the mentally exhausted Jedi onward.

Delshon looked on, thoroughly impressed before a hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him onward. It was one of the SpecForce elites, "Move!"

And they did move, as one the survivors of the strike team ran with all they had through the dark corridors, remembering the way with precision. They continued to run, knowing that already the wraiths were phasing through the collapsed passage way and preparing to continue the chase. Delshon noticed one of the Specs check his chronowatch, noticing thirty seconds left on the timer before bright light appeared in front of them.

The strike force barrelled out of the chamber, running as fast as their legs could carry them. Bright light from a clear blue sky greeted the survivors, almost blinding them in their haste. They were almost out of the blast zone. Just another dozen meters and they would be home free. Shrill low level echoes assaulted their ears from the cave entrance they just vacated, but no one looked back. They just continued to run.

Finally they reached an area of needed cover, several dagger shaped obtrusions of rock which they dived behind, pressing themselves against the hard surface as they waited. Ten seconds left. Wraiths swarmed from the opening, at least five, maybe six.

Five...

Four...

Three...

Two...

One...

It started as a small tremor at first, barely enough force to shuffle any loose granite. Then a horrible series of explosions assaulted their senses, a vicious cacophony of noise which popped eardrums. Delshon didn't look, knowing that the bright light from the blast would quite possibly blind him. A mass of acrid black smoke rose up from the ground, forming the unmistakable shape of a huge mushroom, then another, and another. The aftershock was so severe that the Eldar felt his teeth clatter, could feel the sudden harsh burst of wind.

When it finally subsided he looked up from his perch only to see a wasteland. The mountains had been levelled by the sheer power released in the catacombs below them. The horrible noise and shaking continued as the mass network of Necron corridors and catacombs collapsed, burying the un-dead army within. Black mushroom shaped clouds of acrid black smoke rose up to kiss the blue sky. The spectacle could be vsible from space he would reckon as the once great Thur'Ablis plateau simply collapsed into the sand and ceased to exist.

There were no cheers of celebration from those around him. Everyone knew the sheer scale of destructive power unleashed this day. But once the shock wore off he was sure that mindset would change. The Necron had been buried in their tombs. The allies had won, but he knew at the bottom of his heart that it was a costly victory.

* * *

Silence permeated the air of the command chamber as Eldar and Alliance officials alike looked upon the orbital pictures of the Thur'Ablis Plateau, or what had once been the Thur'Ablis Plateau, with breath held and eyes locked on the screen.

The series of blasts had done its job with almost mythical force, and reports were flooding through that what few Necron infantry that survived the blast were just disappearing into thin air, bodies fading away like an army of ghosts which had lost their ability to become tangible. Gabriel watched and waited, waited for someone to say something.

It was one of the com officers who reported in, gaining a communiqué from the _Guardian _in orbit. "Reports are the same across the board, sir. Necron forces are...um... disengaging. What few survivors have simply vanished, almost like they were never there."

Gabriel frowned, turning to Taldeer to give her a questioning look. She met his gaze steadily. "It means we won, human."

The silence continued for a moment more before celebration broke out across the command chamber, officers and aides cheered in unison as the news was flooded through to all commands across the field and above it. On the field Jedi Knight Jaden Korr breathed a sigh of relief, finding a solid slab of rock to half sit, half collapse on. Exarch Ambrosia soon joined him, collapsing onto the slab, chest heaving.

In orbit Halos fell into his command chair, ignoring the cheers and celebration taking place across his command deck, as well as on the bridge below and across the entire length, breadth and height of not just his Star Dreadnought but her escorts as well. It had been a costly victory, but it had been a victory. He reached up to massage his temple, feeling a few years older than he should.

In the mobile command walker Gabriel let the celebrations continue for a few moments more before he began barking out orders. "Prepare for a full tactical withdrawal, I want the fleet contacted, Gunships revving and ready to go. I want casualty reports on every front, ground, air and orbital. I want those Specs reporting in their positions for pickup. The battle may be over ladies and gentlemen but we're still in hostile territory and the sooner we're gone the sooner we can open those crates of Corellian brandy, clear!"

"Yes General!"

"Then step to it!"

The officers and aides moved with precision, sending tactical withdrawal orders across the board. The remnants of the Division were already falling back to their drop off points, men and women cramming into the closest transports they had. Any destroyed vehicles were thoroughly destroyed. The wounded and the dead were being removed from the field. There was to be no evidence of their existence here. The wreck which was once the Plateau was evidence enough.

Gabriel took a deep sigh before turning to the Farseer. "So what is your plan milady?"

She looked at him for a moment, "The same as you human, a full evacuation of the planet. The Necron are gone and there is no further need for us to be here."

Gabriel cracked a small smile, extending his hand. "Well then I won't keep you. It was a pleasure to work with you honoured Farseer."

Taldeer looked at the hand for a long moment before hesitantly taking it with her own in a short but respectful handshake. "You are an interesting one, Jedi Sabbath."

"Just Gabriel is fine."

"Gabriel." She repeated the name, and for the first time since they meet he saw her flash a small smile, a real smile. "I look forward to working with you again, Gabriel."

She turned and walked away, followed by her trio of Seers as she placed her war helm over her head. Gabriel watched her go, smiling slightly before returning his attention to the mass of information that awaited him. There was still a withdrawal to implement, and he needed a hot cup of Caf.

* * *

It was a tense standoff, so tense that the air could be cut by a blunt knife. On one side was the surviving Specs and Rangers, their armour so starkly different even though the colours were so similar. The Jedi, Major and veteran Ranger stood ahead of the main group, for all intents and purposes showing a united front to the smaller but no less dangerous group.

Sergeant Vasquez stood a couple of steps ahead of his men, watching every slight manoeuvre that the three leaders on the other side of the divide dined to show him. He mentally calculated that his men didn't stand a chance of winning against the numerical odds of men and women who qualified as Special Forces in their own right.

Both the leader of the Rangers and the commanding officer of these SpecForce troopers were hardened veterans. The Sergeant considered the possibility beforehand, but seeing them fight and watching them move had solidified his theory that these Specs would be considered the Kasrkins of the Galactic Alliance, specially trained, best of the best, cream of the crop, prepared for almost every possible scenario. These were undoubtedly elite shock troopers, there was no doubt.

Then there was the xeno. She was a beautiful and almost ethereal creature. Her healthy pinkish red skin gave her an air of the exotic, only amplified by her feathery dark blue hair and piercing chocolate brown eyes. The snugness of her armour showed a human-like body, beyond simple physical fitness and displaying a lot of very impressive curves which would make any Guardsmen's mouth water, if she were human that is.

Like all things though her beauty hid a terrifying ability, from seeing her move faster and perform feats beyond any mere human, not only matching but besting a Necron Pariah in battle, using telekinetic abilities to cave in a corridor of solid rock. There was no mistaking that this one was a Psyker, and a fairly strong one at that, Delta level perhaps though he was no expert on the matter. What was worse was that if he hadn't seen her abilities first hand he would have considered her just a normal xeno female, not an insane hack battling constantly between sanity and insanity.

"Well Sergeant," Falkirk spoke up, pointing in their general direction. "From our scans of the planet the main contingent of Imperial forces is that way, about three or four days walk if I'm not mistaken."

The Sergeant nodded his head, expecting as much from them. He knew that his little standoff in the catacombs had destroyed any chance of trust, and he knew that asking them for a ride to their lines would be asking for the near downright impossible. Just them leaving with their lives seemed to be a gift bestowed by the God-Emperor himself.

The low hum of an engine could be heard in the distance, getting louder and louder with each passing second. The Sergeant looked up in time to see the silhouette of an approaching ship in the light of the fading sun.

"That's our ride people, pop flare."

A green flare was popped and thrown to the ground, releasing its mass of emerald fire into the air. The Gunship flew by, before banking into a lazy turn, circling above like a vulture over a freshly killed carcase. He was barley aware of the xeno woman's voice filtering through the now drumming thrum of the aircrafts engines.

"Ranger Delshon, may we offer you and your people a lift." Dani turned to him, offering a disarming smile. "It might be best if we get your people treated before returning you to your Farseer."

The Ranger was silent for a moment, thinking, looking over to his wounded comrade still held bridal style in one of the Specs arms before back at the Jedi. "Perhaps that would be best, thank you Fiallathandirel."

The xeno woman's smile widened, "You're most welcome."

The Gunship had hovered to a halt and descended to the ground during the conversation, what grass remained near flattened from the sheer force of the small vessels powerful engines. The Specs and Rangers pilled jumped in, easily fitting into the small compartment before shutting the door behind them.

Vasquez looked the vessel over, and knew that it would be a deadly aerial menace to any ground forces, from the rocket launchers above its engine compartments to the bulbous shaped gun pods to the long barrelled weapons below the cockpit. It was designed to not just drop off soldiers but provide aerial support in the thick of combat, a true all purpose Gunship in every sense of the word.

As it took off with a blast of air and a near deafening roar of its twin engines Vasquez knew one thing, his superiors needed to be warned. This new faction was a force to be reckoned with.

* * *

"So,"

Mila looked up in time to glare at the human. The man had removed his helm with his free hand when they closed the hatch, as had all the rest of them before they had taken off. He wasn't bad looking she supposed, with that wavy chocolate brown hair and easy smile. The Gunship's loud and obnoxious engines hammered away at her delicate ears, making her wince occasionally at the shear mass of decibels.

"What?"

"What does it mean?"

Mila looked up at him questioningly, immediately wishing she had her mask back on, for medical reasons the stupid medic wanted her to take it off, and Delshon had not only agreed but aided them in taking it from her. She was so used to it by now that she felt naked without it.

"What does what mean?"

"Mon'Kiegh," She opened her mouth, then abruptly shut it and turned away. The word was meant as an insult onf the highest order, surely if he heard of its meaning then he would be highly offended by it, and considering she was still being supported by him that would be a very bad thing. "Come on, you promised you'd tell me if I lived through this, well I lived through it."

She frowned at him. Mila was considered something of a problem child to both her family and her Craftworld as a whole, always instructed on rules, authority and shutting off emotions. She was sick of it all, and so decided to forsake everything to become a Ranger, a wanderer. Like many warriors among her people she believed in honour right down to her core, a promise made was a promise which had to be kept. It was one of the reasons the warrior shrines butted heads with the seers so continuously.

She made a 'come hither' motion with her finger, waited for the man to lower his head and whispered the meaning of it into his ear in a way that even a human could understand. She would never break a promise for as long as she breathed, even if it was made in hasty circumstances. Mila steeled herself for the inevitable.

The man's entire body began to shake, but not in anger. She looked up in time to see him sniggering, actually _sniggering _before throwing his head back and roaring in unconstrained laughter. For a moment Mila thought he had gone completely insane, and then he turned his head to his compatriots, stupid grin still in place.

"Hey lads, guess what Mon'Kiegh means!"

Mila groaned and curled up in his arms, listening to him tell the meaning of an insulting name to his teammates, feeling her comrades gases upon her and hearing every member of the Specs burst out laughing like it was some kind of hidden joke. She would never understand the human mentality. At the moment she didn't even care, she just wanted to disappear.

* * *

Three hours had passed, and Halos watched on as the last few Gunships and transports funnelled into the launch bays of his warships. His people had successfully evacuated the war torn world known as Kronus, those alive and those dead they were able to bring home. Sighing the Admiral looked down at the datapad in his right hand, mentally counting the casualty lists.

Out of an entire Division of ten thousand men and women at arms a thousand one hundred and forty were reported as killed or missing in action, but most surprising of all was the actual reports that only two hundred and fifty were shown as wounded. The injuries were all the same, dissolved limps which needed bionic replacements. The Necron gauss weapons were truly horrific if they killed far more than they wounded.

In the air the Alliance had lost a total of forty nine aircraft, and of those only ten pilots were able to eject to safety, all of the others were dead. If he were back home in Alliance space with an almost infinite line of pilots and soldiers he would call it a great victory, but he wasn't. Here he only had so many pilots and soldiers he could afford to lose, and he knew he couldn't afford to get into many of these scraps in the future.

The last thing he expected, or wanted came from a communication from the bridge. It was Sor'ai's voice. "Admiral, we have a number of contacts incoming."

Halos didn't respond. He simply rose from his chair and made the short walk from his chambers to the main bridge of his monolithic command ship. The journey lasted barely a minute and when he got there Sor'ai was immediately by his side, handing him a cup of Caf, bless her, and a datapad showing the emergency.

He took a sip of his drink before looking at the information, and immediately regretted it. He almost spat out what Caf he had drank. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "There's no mistaking it, three vessels incoming, Strike Cruiser analogue, bearing the symbols and colours of the Blood Raven Space Marines."

"Well Sith me." Halos took a deep drink of his Caf. At three kilometres in length the ships themselves were not overly terrifying, at least not compared to the likes of the capital-ships they fought and evaded the day before, but that was not why there was a chill crawling up his spine. It was the occupants of these vessels which unnerved him. "Are we still under the Eldar umbrella?"

"Yes sir," Sor'ai replied. "Farseer Taldeer promises they will not remove it until we are safely away."

"Warn the Eldar that the Blood Ravens are making a move over their orbital space," Halos ordered simply. "And ask if they need us to act as a deterrent."

"Yes Admiral."

By the time she returned Joseph had emptied his cup of Caf and was peering over the orbital scans of the planet's surface, a frown setting in. There was a lot of activity taking place around the Tyrea Mountains, too much for it to be a simple withdrawal of Taldeer's troops. There were signs of heavy fighting on several fronts, most worrying of all right in the middle of their ally's camp.

"Sir,"

"Let me guess," Halos spoke up before she could continue. "They're being jammed, right?"

"Yes sir."

"Which means they're under attack," it wasn't a question, but a statement of fact.

"Yes sir."

"By the Blood Ravens," another statement of fact. A taskforce of Space Marine Cruisers invading Eldar orbit and a battle taking place in the Tyrea Mountains was too much of a coincidence, even a fool could see who the aggressors were.

"Most likely sir,"

Halos thought this over for a moment, knowing he could just up and leave. They're debt was fully paid after all, yet the military man in him saw an opportunity, and being a career soldier of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances it would be completely out of his character for him not to take it.

"Are the Cruisers in position?"

"Yes Admiral," Sor'ai answered. "Ten thousand kilometres off our starboard bow, another few moments and they will be in a position to make retreat for the Eldar impossible."

The Admiral seemed deep in thought for a moment, before bringing up a close up of the main battle, a few hundred meters away from the Eldar base of operations. He saw the twisted wrecks which must once have been their Webway gates and their only escape route from the planet. He saw Space Marines squads slowly approach from all sides, Eldar vehicles and infantry forced to withdraw, making their defensive pocket smaller and smaller. Within a time span of a few moments he had a plan.

"I want the _Dauntless _to be in position to provide orbital support, target the area around the Eldar camp," Joseph began, straightening and walking towards the huge view-screen. "I want at least fifty LAAT Gunships refuelled, rearmed and launched to the surface. Their mission is to evacuate Eldar ground forces. I want at least four squadrons of K-wings and X-wings to launch strafing and bombing runs on the first line of Space Marines, make them stutter, make them slow, give time for the evacuation. Target engines and main weapon platforms on those Cruisers; knock them out of the fight!"

"Yes sir."

"And I want Taldeer and her Seers off that planet, knock her out if you have too but step to it."

"Should we send Gabriel?"

"Send them all if you have too."

Sor'ai saluted sharply, before turning around and taking off towards the security foyer to relay the information. Halos remained where he was, standing on the command deck, watching the multicoloured orb which was the planet Kronus. A planet besieged on all sides by war, destruction and death.

A moment passed before a smile graced his features. "Now my Eldar friends, it will be you who owes us."

* * *

It was hopeless.

Farseer Taldeer leaned heavily on her staff, looking over the destruction wrought all around them by the insidious Mon'Keigh. Beautiful visages of wraithbone construct were burning and collapsing all around her. The bodies of her kin littered the field, their blood mingling with the earth and their soul stones crying out for someone, anyone to come and find them.

All the while the veteran Farseer of Ulthwe found the same question coursing through her mind like an accusing whisper from the dead as well as the living. Why hadn't you foreseen this, why? She felt like collapsing to her knees by that very fact. Why hadn't she foreseen this? They had buried the Necron in their tombs, but that was a hollow victory when her people, who trusted in her visions and judgement, were all fighting and dying around her.

She had failed them, all of them.

A hand grasped her shoulder, tearing her attention away from the losing fight. Ahrun was still with her, helm removed showing a face smeared with smog and dried blood. "My lady, the battle is lost. We must get you to safety."

She shook her head, "No Ahrun, you are now in charge. Order all survivors to take to the forests, survive any way they can."

He looked right into her eyes, and she was amazed at how much they softened, "What about you, milady?"

"I will meet my end," she replied, knowing that a full squad of Space Marines were just a few moments away. "I failed them, Ahrun, I have failed you, and everyone who came with me. I have led us all to our deaths."

"No," he replied, grabbing her firmly by her slender shoulders and forcing her to look at him. "We have succeeded my lady. We have buried the Necron in their tombs."

"But at what cost my friend," she replied, closing her eyes and bowing her head. "If I was more of a Farseer this could have all been avoided. So many, so many have died. I am a failure as a leader and a seer. At least give me the honour of meeting my end in the field of battle with my head held high. I am begging you my friend, my mentor, please."

If he wasn't an Eldar Taldeer would swear that her mentor, her teacher, was fighting back tears. His grip on her shoulders slackened and the young Farseer used the chance to remove herself from his grasp. With her free hand she opened and removed her helmet, tossing it to the side to allow her long black hair to flow. She would look upon her closest friend and confidante with her own eyes, not those of a war helm.

She smiled weakly, "Goodbye, my friend."

He looked right into her eyes, looking like he wanted to say more but was interrupted by a soft rumble in the distance, one she had become accustomed too. The whoosh of launched missiles and the devastation of several piercing explosions brought her attention fully to the battlefield. A long line of rising flames separated her retreating troops from the advancing Space Marines, the unmistakable silhouette of a LAAT Gunship passing by and executing a lazy turn.

More silhouettes exploded from the cloud cover above, a small swarm of fighters and bombers of all shapes and sizes. The fighters she knew as X-wings and Tie Interceptors peeling off to intercept the slower Imperial fighters while the bombers and Gunships descended on the line of Blood Raven infantry and armour, peppering Space Marines with laser cannon and blankets of proton bombs.

The almost ear splitting noise of a LAAT's engines assaulted her ears, and spinning around she saw one hover to a stop barely ten meters above her and her mentor, turning to show them its side as it descended to the earth. The sliding doors opened to show a single figure, long robes billowing in the almost gale force winds released by the ships proximity.

Gabriel Sabbath hopped out of the Gunship, hitting the ground and walking towards them without missing a beat. She felt her guards tighten their grips on their weapons, but stopped them with a raised hand. The Jedi continued walking until he was a few steps away from her, and held out his hand. She looked upon it with a mixture of confusion and intrigue.

"We have come to your rescue my lady." The human stated matter-of-factly, smiling a smile which was far too disarming. "The Admiral asked me to deliver a message once you and your cadre are safely on board this Gunship."

"But my people-"

"Are already being evacuated," Gabriel cut her off simply. "Will fifty Gunships be enough? Or will we have to send more to save your collective asses?"

Lances of Turbolaser fire streaked from the sky above, slamming into the ground between her forces and the Imperials, protecting them from the Space Marines forward advance. "Fifty should do."

"Great, then follow me." He lead her like a child to the Gunship, hoisting her up onto the deck like one would a toddler. Taldeer didn't know whether to thank him or scream at him. Instead she ground her teeth together and gripped one of the looped leather cloths hanging from the ceiling, watching as Ahrun and her guardsmen jumped on. Gabriel was the last, closing the door and calling for the pilot to get them moving before coming up beside her and uttering a sentence or two.

"The message is this my lady," Gabriel replied, leaning forward and whispering the rest into her ear. "_Now my Eldar friends, you owe us."_

Taldeer blinked, and then scowled at the words, knowing full well that he was right. They did owe them for this.

* * *

"Enemy Strike Cruisers are targeting our Gunships."

"Well that says everything doesn't it," Halos looked at the hologram of the three Cruisers, main turrets rotating to target _his _people before letting the command slip from his lips. "Let them have it."

"Yes Admiral."

The cloaks around the _Guardian _and her taskforce fell just as a devastating mass of firepower was unleashed from thousands of Turbolaser and ion cannon batteries. With such an element of surprise, with such overwhelming firepower at such close range the Strike Cruisers had no chance. The first salvo of combined fire crippled the closest Cruiser and forced the other two to initiate a withdrawal, running even as their void shields failed and their heavy armour melted under the onslaught of sheer superior firepower.

The crippled Cruiser floated in space, shields gone and armoured hull opened up in several places. Her engines had been crippled and her main weapon batteries decimated before they could even lock onto the rising swarm of Gunships and fighters from the surface.

Joseph watched as the two surviving Strike Cruisers retreated five thousand kilometres before turning around, bringing their full broadsides to bear on his taskforce. They fired in unison, long lances of orange flame slamming against the strengthened shields of his Star Dreadnought. The shields flared an electric blue but held, protecting the ship and the people within from the onslaught.

Halos breathed a sigh of relief as he watched his Gunships, fighters and bombers literarily swarm into his main hanger bay like locusts, ignoring all proper peace time protocol and just getting the hell out of the line of fire. He watched as the _Guardians _main guns returned fire against the two surviving Strike Cruisers, acting more as a deterrent than anything else.

"All Gunships have reported landing,"

"The Farseer?"

"Is among them, sir."

Halos released a breath. "Do we have a clear path?"

"Yes sir."

"Then let's get the hell out of here."

The two remaining Strike Cruisers looked on as the small taskforce of warships vanished in a mass of blinding white flashes, leaving nothing but empty space behind them.

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story._ _Thank you everyone who sent in reviews as well, mainly Alith Anar, Ahrimal and Potatoes-ate-my-soul for your support. Thank you Dungams for reviewing without mentioning a grammar mistake, lol, means I must have really improved. But where is Ravenor, come on man get a review in here, if I have you on board then I'll know this remake is a success ._

_**Author's Note 2: **__Phew, just got this chapter finished in time. If I have a few spelling mistakes please forgive me. Coursework is becoming hectic so there might not be an update for the next week or two, three pieces of coursework in three weeks you understand. Then two exams on the 13__th__ and 18__th__ of May, then presentations on the 25__th__ and 26__th__ of May, mine will only be on one of those days but they'll deduct marks if I miss one... give me strength._

_**Author's Note 3: **__I apologise for anyone who wanted to see a Necron Lord, or that the Pariahs were under-strength. But I wanted to get Kronus out of the way and onto more development of the characters. If I dragged this out then I'll get a mental block and updates would become sporadic for a while. This is not the last time the Alliance tangle with the Necron, so there will be other chances to introduce a Lord to the story, as well as the Stargods themselves._


	18. Aftermath

_**Chapter 17**_

_**Aftermath**_

The stars elongated into infinite lines of pure white light, giving the impression that the ships of the Alliance were moving down a corridor with no end in sight. Hyperspace had its simple beauty, something that many people had taken for granted over the many millennia Hyperdrives had been in usage for the civilised peoples of the galaxy.

Farseer Taldeer looked at this new sight from the Admirals quarters of her new ally's flagship, captivated by the simple serenity of it all, so different from the warp or the Webway. Hyperspace was theorised to be another dimension, yet it seemed to be something lacking any of the twisted machinations of the warp. There were dangers, but compared to the many which inhabited the Immaterium they were considered slight.

She was not alone in her observations. Her first and most trusted seer Ahrun stood by her side, forever loyal and protective of her, and flanking their left and right were four Dire Avengers, standing as silent and still as guardian statues. Sitting across from her was the commander of the Alliance fleet, Admiral Joseph Halos. It was her first time meeting this man in the flesh, and her first impression of him was that he was a strong individual. Gabriel Sabbath flanked the man's right, still dressed in his hooded brown robes which seemed to be the preferred attire to his order.

"Farseer Taldeer," Halos greeted with a slight smile, and the Eldar immediately chided herself from being so captivated with the subtle beauty of Hyperspace. "It is an honour and a privilege to see you safe and unharmed."

Taldeer nodded her head, "The honour and privilege is mine Admiral, thank you for saving not only myself but my people as well. We are... in your debt, as it were."

"Indeed," Joseph replied. "We will continue onwards to Haven, and once we arrive we will make arrangements to have you and your forces returned to your Craftworld, until then consider yourselves honoured guests aboard our vessels. You and your people are free to wander anywhere non-vital to the ship, so I am afraid to say that places such as the armoury, Hyperdrive engines, communications and so on will be out of bounds."

Taldeer leaned back in her chair, nodding her head in acceptance. "That is acceptable Admiral, and I promise you that my people will not cause any trouble upon you or your people."

"Glad to hear it,"

"But there is something we need to discuss."

"Oh?"

"You saved us from Kronus Admiral, and I hate being indebted to anyone." Taldeer calmly looked the Admiral in the eyes. "What is it you wish in return?"

"Straight to the point, I like that."

"I do not believe in tiptoeing around the issue."

"Neither do I, my lady." Joseph leaned back in his chair. "I suppose in return you and your people could keep your eyes and ears open for us."

"Please explain."

"We are still missing one of our ships, a Star Destroyer known as the _Independence_." Halos explained, and Taldeer's impression of this man rose with every moment he unflinchingly kept eye contact with her. "It has been a little over six months since our... accident and we still have heard no sign of her. You must understand our worry. If a non-friendly party were to capture this ship then the potential benefits for said party would be explosive, and I also worry for the crew aboard if said party wasn't very hospitable."

"In basic terms you wish to know what would happen if the Imperium was able to capture this ship?" Taldeer inquired, stapling her fingers together over her stomach. It was a valid worry.

"More or less,"

"Technology wise there are certain factions within the Imperium which view technology as sacred, almost fanatically so." Taldeer began. "The Adeptus Mechanicus would be the front of all technological advancement within the Mon'Keigh domain, however it has been known to take decades, perhaps even centuries for them to sanction any technological advancement and anyone who even tries outside of themselves would be considered a heretic. On that front it would take the Imperium centuries to implement what technology of yours they find, especially if it is of alien origin."

"I guessed as much, with the alien part anyway." Halos replied with a frown. "But why would it take them so long. In the Alliance new technologies are discovered and implemented all the time, especially in a time of war."

"But the Imperium is not your Alliance Admiral." Taldeer replied simply. "They're not nearly as open minded, and anything not of human creation is immediately considered dangerous, if not blasphemous. Purification, as they call it, can take centuries."

"Don't tell me they would take her apart, douse it in holy water and put it back together again." Halos asked with well hidden amusement.

"At least," Taldeer replied, allowing a faint smile as the one on her counterparts slowly faded.

"Sith me, you're serious."

"I rarely joke about such things, Admiral."

Halos and Sabbath exchanged a brief glance, before turning back to the Farseer. "Well what can we expect of the crew?"

"Your worst fears made real." Taldeer replied. "Anyone who doesn't look human would probably be executed on the spot, while the rest would be subjected to torture as well as a number of other no less horrific outcomes."

"Then we need to find them." Halos did not waver as he said it. "And we will find them."

"There is no need to worry yet Admiral," Gabriel spoke up. "For all we know they might still be wandering through the void, perhaps they found a safe haven like we did."

"Yes, perhaps." Joseph relented. "But the chances of that will most likely be getting slimmer with each passing day."

"You will have our help in this endeavour, Admiral." Taldeer interjected softly. "Consider it the beginnings of us repaying you."

"Thank you, honoured Farseer." Joseph replied before rising, his Eldar opposite copying the motion. It was a sign that the meeting had reached its conclusion. "Now it has been a long couple of days for us all, and I believe you and your people need rest. We have some other issues which need to be sorted."

"The Tau Ethereal," the Admiral didn't appear surprised by her assertion.

"Indeed," Halos nodded his head in response. "With all that has happened we were unable to deposit them on Kronus, but it does give us an opportunity to learn more of the galaxy as well as understand these Tau leaders abilities."

"You have an opinion?"

"More like a proven assertion." Gabriel spoke up. "The two Ethereal's are like us, force users."

* * *

"Forgive me my lord," Alexander apologised frankly as he led the black robed agent through the halls of what was once the local Planetary Governors estate, now the centre of operations for Governor-Militant Lukas Alexander and his 1st Kronus Regiment. "If I had known you were coming I would have prepared a proper reception."

Inquisitor Jaeger did not respond, instead looking up with wizened eyes to scan the battle standards and Regimental flags draped against the walls and fluttering from the timber ceiling. Tapestries bearing the Imperial Eagle also stood out prominently, showing all who set foot in these halls the true masters of the world.

Lucius Grant kept pace, flanking his right side. His Interrogator was fully dressed in his old green dress uniform of a Colonel. A bolt pistol and his family's power-sword were sheathed to his black utility belt. Amazing how such a smartly dressed man was perhaps one of the most efficient killers the old Inquisitor had seen in almost twenty years.

Finally they entered the Governor-Militants chambers, noticing the now that the walls were empty save for the large flag of the Imperial double headed eagle draped at the back of the chamber, right behind a grand mahogany desk and chair. Other than that there were a few leather arm chairs, a drinks cabinet and a weapons cabinet carrying a well crafted bolt pistol, power-sword and a gold embroidered power-claw.

He gained great insight in Lukas Alexander from seeing his living quarters. The man was a proper soldier, not some ignorant noble who gained the position through family name alone. This one gained his position through blood, sweat and skill and was a true patriot of the Imperium of Mankind.

"I will not keep you," the Inquisitor stated, watching as the fairly young commander took a seat behind his desk. "You have received word of the Thur'Ablis Plateau."

The Governor grunted in acknowledgement, "Yes, how the Eldar defeated the Necron presence there and buried them in their tombs."

"The Eldar had help in that regard," the Inquisitor replied simply. "Another faction which calls themselves the Galactic Alliance, a good portion of the ground forces belonged to them and it was their weapons which buried the foul monstrosities."

"And it was them who aided the Eldar scourge in their evacuation from the planet," the Militant scowled at the notion, which didn't surprise Jaeger. He knew that the Governors original mission was to either apprehend or kill the lightlings Farseer, Taldeer. With her and her peoples flight from the battle Alexander found his original objective temporarily out of his grasp. All that was left for the man was the conquest of Kronus, to keep his honour.

"Indeed," Jaeger nodded his head. "I have heard that a thought lost unit of elite Kasrkins have returned alive from the battle."

"Yes, they are being quarantined bending psychiatric evaluation." Alexander spoke up. "The survivors were put through hell."

"I understand, but I would like to speak with them, or at least their commanding officer." Hans Jaeger finally took a seat, Grant remaining by his side like a deadly shadow. "They may have seen these Alliance types fight, and they're input would be most valuable to my continued investigation and hunt."

"You are hunting, Inquisitor?"

"I have been hunting this fleet for several months, yes." The Inquisitor replied. "They are very difficult to track, a true Ghost Fleet in every sense of the word."

"Sounds trying," Lukas leaned forward, stapling his hands together. "Very well, you may speak with their commander, a Sergeant Vazquez. He's in the detention centre with the rest of his men. I will have a man escort you to them."

Jaeger rose and bowed, "Thank you, Governor-General."

* * *

"Dani, seriously," Gabrielle frowned as she waved the younger Knight away from her. "I said I was fine."

"Like Kriff your fine." The Zeltron retorted sweetly, cutting up another slice of steak and holding it up to her with a mischievous smile. "Say ah."

Gabrielle's glare could have melted steel, "I broke an arm, not gone paralysed below the neck."

"Broken arm, fractured ribs, mild concussion, bruised vertebrae, cracked pelvis-"

"Please stop listing off my injuries like they are badges of honour," Gabrielle groaned, cursing that one trip to the bacta tank wasn't enough to do the job. With the mass of wounded requiring the miracle liquid, both Alliance and Eldar alike, more than she at the moment she had to wait for her second treatment. Meaning that she was as weak and helpless as a newborn kitten, and Dani was enjoying every Sith-spitting second of it.

She looked at the sampled meat like it was contagious before opening her mouth. Her next bite was an inch away before Dani took it from her and waggled her free index finger back and forth. "Ah ah ah, you didn't say ah."

"I. Hate. You." Gabrielle was glaring daggers right at her friend, "So much."

"That didn't sound like ah." The young Zeltron said thoughtfully.

Gabrielle felt her slightly pointed ears twitch. She was sore, and she was hungry. "Let me rephrase Dan. If you don't give me that meat then when I get out of here I will put _you _into the hospital, with that same list of injuries you like to list off so much."

"Broken arm, fractured ribs, mild concussion, bruised vertebrae, cracked pelvis-"

"Dani!"

"Stop teasing my sister, Dani." Gabrielle sighed in relief when she saw her twin walk into her personal hospital room, sending him a pleading look which would remind anyone who looked upon it of a kicked puppy. She would admit that he was the older twin at this rate, which considering their considerable arguments on the topic was a huge concession. "Besides _Brigadier General_ you missed your debriefing."

"Fine, fine," Dani conceded, letting Gabrielle bite down on the strip of meat before setting the plate down and, grabbing her robes made her way from the room. Gabriel watched her go before turning around and fixing his twin with a worried gaze.

Gabrielle sighed. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"You could have died,"

"But I didn't."

"But you could have."

"Gabriel," his twin's voice softened. "Help me eat would you. It's kind of hard with all this bacta wrap on."

The Jedi Master of the duo sighed before taking a seat and lifting up the plate of half eaten food, helping his twin with the rest. All the while his gaze didn't leave her injuries, and she noticed it. "He was a forceling Gabriel."

"I know." Gabriel sighed, letting her take the last bite before setting the empty plate on the bedside table. "The other one felt just the same way, and he attempted to coerce the Admiral to aide his forces on Kronus with a very advanced bout of force-persuasion."

"Why would someone do that? Try and control another person's thoughts for their own goals instead of just sitting down and talking to them." Gabrielle looked hesitant on the issue. "I mean we are capable of it as well, but only if the situation was dire enough to call for it."

"I'm afraid the argument for that will be the same since we arrived, Gab." Her twin replied, leaning forward to push back a long hair which she was trying to blow away in her worried state. "We may like to think we are more civilised than the peoples here, but that is just us deluding ourselves. All this galaxy and its peoples have known for thousands of years is war and bloodshed. I dread to believe it but I feel that we would be exactly the same as them if we went through the same series of occurrences."

Gabrielle was silent for the longest moment, brow furrowing as she internally debated. Finally she looked at him, and it was not the look of his sister, strong and reliable, but a look which he had found unsettlingly familiar over the last few months, as the truth set in amongst the crews of the fleet. "Sometimes I wish we could just go home, you know."

Gabriel leaned back, eyes looking at the tiles of the ceiling. "I know Gab. The Yuuzhan Vong war had just ended. The galaxy was rebuilding itself. The Jedi were continuously being called out to settle disputes and help refugees to resettle. But thinking back I would have considered home even then to be a paradise compared to here."

"Remember when Dani and I fitted paint bombs in the Masters Chambers." Gabrielle said wistfully, a ghost of a smile crossing her face.

Gabriel snorted, "Do I remember? I remember you and Dani being lead by the ear to me by Master Jade. She scolded you two for trying to prank the Council, then me for not stopping you, then just as she left she muttered something along the lines of 'Almost wish I hadn't caught them. It would have been funny to see'."

Gabrielle giggled before her features became sombre again. "I miss those times."

"Your pranks, or me getting blamed for them?"

"Hmm, both." She replied with a smile, relishing in his frown. "I miss Master Jade, she was awesome."

"Reset the timers on those paint bombs if I remember." Gabriel frowned, "Typical from her, scolding us for it then doing it herself. But yeah, she was and still is pretty awesome."

"We might never see her or Master Skywalker ever again."

He made her look at him, "We'll make it home Gab, I promise."

"Why do I want to believe you?"

"Because it's the truth," Gabriel smiled. "We still have that Slipstream Drive, and with someone of Professor Lissana's brain power it's only a matter of time before they fix it."

Gabrielle smiled, "Don't let her catch you saying that. It'll go to her brain."

Gabriel laughed lightly, "That it would, and then some."

He stopped then, sensing the familiar presence of Jaden coming their way. He smiled as he turned back to his sister. "Jaden is coming to see you, and he seems really worried."

Gabrielle's cheeks coloured ever so slightly, and Gabriel shook his head. The two of them absolutely adored each other, yet neither seemed willing to take the risk, the plunge. "You're going to interrogate those Ethereal Tau aren't you?"

It was an attempt to change the subject, but a good one. "Yes, but with the one me and Hossk apprehended it's only going to be a questioning. I'm still debating on the one who hurt you."

"Don't give into your anger Gabriel." His twin looked at him with twin orbs of intense chocolate as he rose and walked to the exit. "If you let your anger control you they'll win."

"We're not facing the Sith, Gabrielle," Gabriel retorted softly as he opened the doors of her room and stepped out, waving a dual wave of goodbye to her as well as a sign for Jaden to go on in as he walked down the corridor. Once he was out of earshot he muttered. "It's a lot more complicated than that."

* * *

Sergeant Vasquez did not expect to be met by an Inquisitor, least of all here and now. His men had been picked up barely a half day into their trek by a passing by _Valkyrie _Gunship, a welcome sight compared to the Necron drones or Alliance variants. They found themselves returned to Victory Bay and safe haven.

Immediately upon arrival he and his men had been quarantined, awaiting psychiatric evaluation and rest before their inevitable return to the frontline. He was thankful for this. His men needed rest. They needed time to regain their strength both mentally and physically before being released back onto the killing fields of Kronus.

Then the Inquisitor arrived, an old man hooded and cloaked with an air of malice which made the air heavy with his very presence. This was a dangerous man, made even more dangerous by the subordinate standing behind him. The man beside him was definitely a soldier, what with his dead pools for eyes and the way he moved, a trained killer, assassin perhaps or former elite, Kasrkin or more likely an Inquisition Storm Trooper.

"It is an honour to make your acquaintance, my lord." Vasquez greeted.

"The pleasure is mine, Sergeant." The Inquisitor replied with a wave of his hand. "I have come here because you and your men are survivors of that dreadful incident on the Thur'Ablis Plateau. It is truly a show of your ability to lead your men out of there alive."

"Thank you, my lord." The Sergeant bowed lightly. "It was with the Emperor's blessing that we survived more than my personal ability."

"Yes indeed," Jaeger's eyes were focused and unflinching. "However I am more interested in the help you and your men received in the catacombs, a force of specials under the banner of a faction known as the Galactic Alliance."

"They called themselves SpecForce sir, and from what I have seen they would be considered the elite of whoever they serve." Vasquez spoke up without hesitation. "They were well armed, well trained and had adequate experience on the field of battle. I am ashamed to admit that me and my men would not have survived if we hadn't have joined up with them and their allies."

"Allies?"

"They were travelling with a small group of Eldar Rangers sir." The Sergeant explained, seeing a slight shift in the Inquisitors gaze.

"So the rumours were true." The old man murmured silently, barely below the veteran soldiers hearing, "anything else on them?"

"I am unsure of their race sir, if they were all human or not." Vasquez continued. "But I do know that there was at least one xeno witch with them, of a race I have never seen before. She was definitely a Psyker as well, and held in high esteem among the SpecForce. The way she moved, the way she fought and the way she used ethereal powers beyond mortal men's understanding."

"What kind of powers?"

"She killed at least three Wraiths as well as besting a Necron Pariah in single combat." Vasquez looked at him. "She also caved in a corridor of solid rock to buy us time to escape. She was a Psyker and from what I heard she also held a high military rank, Brigadier General I think was the term."

"Hmm," the Inquisitor seemed to think this through. "This is indeed vital information, more information than we have been able to gleam in as many months."The hooded man rose from his bench, leaning on his twisted staff of office. "I thank you for this Sergeant."

"You are welcome, my lord."

* * *

The Tau Ethereal was indeed a pragmatic figure, sitting silent and still at the other end of the table, completely calm both physically and through the force. He didn't seem hesitant by the six heavily armed marines. Four flanking him while another two guarding the doors, or the anti-psychic equipment which made his powers mute.

It was unnerving to have the force, that power that had been with you since birth, stripped away. It left a force-sensitive being not only defenceless but also hollow, like a piece of oneself had been mercilessly torn out and thrown away. Gabriel gave none of this uneasiness away, face a mask of stone as he watched the interrogation from the adjoining observation room.

"Guy gives me the creeps." Lieutenant Morman murmured from beside him, watching as the interrogator asked the prisoner a series of questions, mainly about the inner workings of the Tau Empire and the place of the Ethereal caste in it. It wasn't so much an interrogation as it was a questions and answers session.

Gabriel nodded, though his unease was on a whole other level from the Duros beside him. The presence of this male through the force was not difficult to describe. The mind he had subtly tried to infiltrate was honed through training to become a fortress against psychic persuasion, any attempt the Jedi Master made to brush this creatures mind was immediately met with a strong psychic wall.

On the other side of the glass wall the conversation was still ongoing. The Tau Ethereal being relentlessly questioned by his interrogator, a grizzled Corellian known as Colonel Leon Moore, recently ascended to chief of Alliance Intelligence within the fleet. He was shrewd, calculating, a veteran interrogator as well as spy master.

"Our Empire would be considered quite young Colonel, at least compared to the age of the Human Imperium, perhaps three hundred of your years. The Empire is divided into what we call Septs, or what you would call Sectors. To date there are twenty Septs within the Empire and these Septs hold three hundred colonies, each with their own specialty and independent identity." Ethereal Shovah spoke with an almost unceasing calm and serenity.

"And the Ethereal caste would be considered the leaders of your nation?" Moore asked, all thought of interrogation replaced by a group of curious people asking questions.

"Yes, the Ethereal caste, known among us as Aun, would be considered the leaders of the Empire." Shovah answered with a nod of his head. "Our society is strictly caste orientated, at least amongst the Tau. These castes are known as Fire, Air, Water and Earth, also known as Shas, Kor, Por and Fio respectively. The Fire caste represents our armed forces, Air represents our navy, Water is the diplomatic caste and Earth is the caste of builders. There are numerous others for other professions, but these five are our main castes."

"And the Aun Caste is force-sensitive?"

"That is a term which your own users use, Jedi was it?"

"I am afraid I am the one asking the questions, Ethereal."

"Of course, I apologise." Shovah nodded his head before continuing on. "The Greater Good is what we call the power which your people have termed the Force. To us it is a powerful inner strength which grants a small number within our race power over the life force around us, including great gifts of persuasion and telekinesis."

Moore nodded his head in understanding, "And is your caste known for using such methods of persuasion on those around you?"

"When the need calls for it yes," Shovah replied, still having the look of a powerful leader. "We are at war with a nation considerably larger than us, capable of fielding more soldiers and utilising far more space-craft then we can ever match. They are not the only threats we face either, Ork hordes and Tyranid Splinter-Fleets harry our borders, attempting to destroy what the Tau have built. Every advantage we can gain we do so without hesitation."

"I understand your assertions Ethereal, but my superiors frown upon someone controlling our people," the middle aged operative leaned forward, gaze intense. "And so do I. Our peoples could have had a better first contact if you had trusted in your diplomats instead of your mind tricks."

"Perhaps it could Colonel," Shovah allowed. "But as I said my people are at war. We were in the middle of a battle over a world which we could very well lose to the Imperium. I saw an opportunity to bolster our forces and I took it. I do apologise for doing so, but I am not regretful in my actions."

"I see."

"I would also like to apologise on behalf of my protégé." The Ethereal continued. "Ethereal Shi'ur is young and reckless. I understand he harmed a few of your officers, as well as one of your people blessed with the Greater Good."

Moore was silent for a moment, face of stone yet his presence trickled with surprise. "How do you know this?"

Gabriel frowned from the other side of the mirror, "He must have been in contact with Shi'ur before the force suppression equipment was put in place."

"Either that or the equipment doesn't work." Morman growled.

"No it works. He would have attempted something by now if it didn't." Gabriel replied, noticing the Colonel rise from his chair and leave the interrogation room from the corner of his eye. It was only a few seconds before he entered the observation chamber, giving Gabriel a calculating look before speaking.

"What do you make of him, Master Sabbath?"

"A well trained Force-user if that's that you want to know. I have attempted to brush his mind, but it is well fortified through both mental training and subtle usage of the Force. I am afraid breaking through such defences is beyond my abilities." Gabriel watched as the Colonel sighed and massaged his temple.

"Thought as much," the Intelligence commander replied. "He's also received intense training in anti-interrogation measures. His will is unshakable and his emotions are statuesque to me, a blank slate. There are only a handful of people even in Alliance Intelligence who are this good."

"The information he has given us is also basic knowledge within his Empire," Gabriel added on. "We would have found this out eventually with a few probe droid drops."

"Have you been able to glean anything, anything at all?"

"Yes, a little at least," Gabriel looked both men in the eye. "Despite what our first meeting defines them as they are not as simple as grouping them as a faction similar to the Sith or the Jedi. They are a lot more complicated, when I checked him he didn't exhibit the negative emotions of a Sith mind nor the deep serenity of a Jedi mind, they are gray, right in the middle."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that they will be unpredictable Colonel, completely and utterly unpredictable." Gabriel answered as he turned back to the screen, unnerved when he saw the Ethereal look at the glass, almost as if the Aun's eyes were locked with his own.

* * *

The Blackship broke through the warp like a wraith, its bulk silent yet extremely deadly to all around it. Lord Admiral Tobias was not aware of its presence until they were hailed, and as he watched the vessel come up alongside his own Battleship he marvelled at how such a large vessel was so stealthy. It was an old _Mars-class _Battlecruiser, hull painted black and sporting the emblems of the Imperium and the Inquisition, particularly the synbols of the Ordo Xenos.

Tobias knew this ship. He had heard of it through war stories his father told him when he was very young, the _Mars-class _Battlecruiser _Right to Rule_, personal transport and Blackship of Lord Inquisitor William Silvermane. It was from the _Right to Rule _that Silvermane and his protégés operated from, their mobile headquarters when the Lord was not on holy Terra.

Now here he was, in the main hanger of his own Battleship, flanked by the lady Inquisitor and her cadre to his right as the transport, a _Valkyrie _Gunship, settled onto the cold metal decking. Its landing struts strained with a quick creek as its weight was distributed, engine dying away to nothing as it placed all its weight on the ground. The rampway at the back of the small vessel opened with a squeal of hydraulics and several hisses of steam.

There were no guards. The Lord Inquisitor stalked down the ramp on his own, black cloak billowing as he moved with precision belying his advanced years. His hood was down showing an aging man, long straight white hair tied back in a ponytail, well kept white beard with an ounce of black under his bottom lip, wrinkled leathery skin and as the Lord Admiral looked into his eyes he saw a pair of bright crystal blue orbs so full of life, completely opposite to the elderly body this man possessed.

He carried himself with pride, standing straight and not hunched, long pole of a staff of office resting in his right hand. He walked towards the Lord Admiral and his entourage without putting much if any weight on it. Under the black cloak he spotted black power armour, gleaming like freshly polished leather, seemingly specially made for this man's form. A pair of specially crafted bolt pistols holstered to his black utility belt, polished silver with the golden emblems of the Aquila and the Imperial Eagle emblazoned on the barrels of the right and left guns respectively. The weapons had some fame and almost mythical superstition to them. It was said that in the hands of the Lord Inquisitor they never missed their target, even from distances beyond their specified range.

Tobias watched as the lady Inquisitor at his side strode out to meet him, her cadre remaining where they were. He watched with interest as the older man's sharp eyes softened considerably, a genuine smile briefly flickering across his aging features as he embraced the beautiful brunette. He brought her out to arms length, inspecting her as if he were checking for wounds. "I hope you were treated well, Robyn."

The woman pulled down her hood, allowing her long brown locks to fall to the small of her back. "The Lord Admiral was most accommodating my lord."

"I should hope so." He replied, tapping the young woman's chin before continuing his march up towards the Lord Admiral, his younger protégé falling into rank behind him. "Lord Admiral Tobias I presume, you look an awful lot like your father."

Tobias made the sign of the Aquila across his chest before bowing, "Lord Inquisitor Silvermane. My father has spoken very highly of you."

"I should hope so, how is the old bastard."

Tobias chuckled, "Enjoying retirement on Northumberland my lord, asked if you would visit him and my mother."

"It would be nice to trade old war stories with the old goat again." The Inquisitor agreed as the two began to walk, "Perhaps after this new series of matters is dealt with."

"He would like that."

"As would I," Silvermane replied before turning his head slightly, catching the much younger man's eye. "Tell me everything which has transpired here on Kronus. I want to know of the skirmish between this Alliance and Imperial forces, what this faction has been getting up to and what that fool Jaeger has done to put us on such bad terms."

"I can only tell you so much my lord."

"It will be enough, Lord Admiral." Silvermane replied before bringing his attention to one of the younger Inquisitors bodyguards, the towering man in dark red leather trench coat and sombrero hat. The man carried himself with supreme confidence almost bordering on arrogance, and although his eyes were hidden behind a pair of amber lensed sunglasses Tobias knew this man held considerable psychic power. It was in the very air itself. "Marcus here will be able to find out the rest."

The man smiled, showing slightly elongated canines before bowing his head, "As you wish, my master."

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story._

_**Author's Note 2: **__I really shouldn't be doing this, writing the next chapter so soon that is. Because I have two weeks to write ten thousand words and finish full presentation and working drawings of a Bowling Arena. The Arena is two thirds of the way done mind you, but still I probably won't be able to update until after the 6__th__ May._

_**Author's Note 3: **__I also have a question on the normal level of Psyker found in service to the Imperium. From what I have read over the years the usual Psyker on the battlefield would be between Delta and Gamma, and according to the Psychic Table only one in a billion people are born with that level of power. Anyone who has abilities above this would be considered too mentally unstable to serve, according to The Assignment anyway (Thank you WarFan for the link). Space Marine Librarians might be an exception, but are they mainly Delta and Gamma as well? _

_**Author's Note 4: **__I gained some criticism that a Space Marine Strike Cruiser could not have possibly been crippled from a surprise attack from the thousands of guns of a Star Dreadnought and a taskforce of Star Destroyers at close range... Warhammer fanboys, they won't be happy until I have an Imperial Battleship survive a blast from the Death Stars Superlaser._


	19. Apprentices

_**Chapter 18**_

_**Apprentices**_

Rachi sat at her desk, eyes flashing as she scanned the mass of new information on her datascreen. The newest results of the Tau scans had come in and she was one of the first to gain the information, deep core scans as well as an infinite number of others had been used on what Tau technology they were able to take, particularly the staffs which both Ethereal's had in their possession as well as the weapons and armour their guards had.

The information gained was astonishing, and with each moment of reading the information the Jedi felt the scientific part of her slowly awaken. Rachi was not a fully qualified scientist, her specialty was more as a warrior and archaeologist but she had the mind and talent for it. Nora Lissana was also a great teacher, if a little terrifying at times. The Head Scientist had a passion for her work, and showed great interest in finding new technologies and unlocking their secrets.

Her superior had spent every waking moment peering over the Tau armoured suits and pulse weapons, performing a mass of scans and minute inspections of what was gained. Taking them apart, going over each minute detail and putting them back together again. Rachi had never seen the professor so driven before, and with the adage of one of their Gunships which was sitting in one of her larger laboratories the scientist had enough to keep her occupied for some time.

Rachi had been given another job, one which was more within her talents as a fledgling scientist. As a force sensitive being she was the best choice to study the strange staffs that the Ethereals had on their person when they were apprehended. She had run detailed scans and inspections of them, both through conventional means and prodding through the force. The results were interesting to say the least.

A cup of steaming Caf was placed into her hands, and looking down at it Rachi was barely aware of the hands until they began massaging her shoulders. She tensed slightly under the strange touch before calming and relenting. "You are very tense, Master Jedi."

She knew that voice. "Is it usual for you to sneak up behind a girl, Major?"

Falkirk was smiling, she knew it. Rachi was about to say as much, mainly a rebuke to the smug look she knew he had before his massaging hands hit just the right spot and unconsciously she emitted a sigh of contentment, then a groan as his hands explored further. "Was this your occupation in a past life?"

"Why, am I good at it?" he asked, smile in his voice.

"By the force," she breathed as he hit just the right spot, again, slowly un-tensing her muscles. She leaned back in her chair, almost willing him not to stop. "Mmm... I wouldn't say you were brilliant at it... mm... But you do have a talent for it."

"Much obliged, milady." The Major would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't enjoying this. With his newfound respect for the Jedi, coupled with him saving one from certain death gained him quite a bit of respect among them, as well as a friendship with the very Jedi he saved. "So have you found anything new on these things yet?"

"Quite a bit and they are fascinating." Rachi said, blowing lightly on her drink before taking a tentative sip, followed by a breathy sigh of contentment and sagging into her chair. "These staffs are amplifiers."

"Amplifiers?"

"Yes, think of the Ethereal's as Jedi, except that they would be far younger than our order, maybe only a few thousand years old. Because of this they're knowledge of the force is limited and they're knowledge in how to harness its power is less so." Rachi explained, emitting a purr as his hands roved along her shoulder blades with expertise precision. "Stop that, it's distracting."

Falkirk raised his hands from her shoulders, feeling a little put out. "We can continue that later, you have a lot of stress in your shoulders, Master Jedi."

"I look forward to it, Major." Score, was all the Major thought.

"I could always do a _full-body _massage." He replied, smiling when he saw her cheeks darken ever so slightly. "It'll do wonders for your health, Master Jedi."

"You're making fun of me." She pouted.

"No, I'm flirting with you, there's a difference." Her blush slowly intensified. "So what do these things do?"

The Jedi took a few deep breaths to control herself before continuing on. "Basically you concentrate the force into them and they amplify the power of the individual. They make it easier for the user to harness and control the currents of the force, meaning they can perform abilities and techniques impossible for them otherwise."

"What happens if you were to use it?"

"My power would increase to thrice its original level," Rachi replied. "I've already tested it, and the results were not just impressive but absolutely terrifying. When Gabrielle battled that Ethereal his powers were on par with her own, if not slightly stronger, which leads me to believe that quite a few of these Ethereal caste members are quite weak force users, and these staffs are the centre of their power, remove the staffs and you remove the threat. It's just a theory though."

"Meaning that you guys have been in this race far longer than they have," Chance replied. "It's an advantage to you guys if you ever face off against one of these Ethereal's again."

"Basically yes," Rachi nodded. "But think of how they were made. It had to be a blending of their modern technology with their techniques in the force. If we learn how to duplicate in some form then we could perhaps learn an ancient technique long lost to history. It has been considered that the Jedi of the ancient past used crystals imbedded within their lightsabers to strengthen their own force sensitivity."

"So you think those crystals are the centre of this staff's power?" Falkirk asked, pointing to the glowing jewels imbedded in not just the pole of the staff but the very artistic runes as well. "That they amplify the powers of a force user."

"Basically, yes." Rachi replied with a smile, completely in her element. "Imagine if we could reverse engineer this, compact it and utilise it in our own lightsabers. The Jedi would become so much stronger because of it, and it would explain how the Jedi and Sith of older generations seemed so much stronger than the ones of today."

"I had always thought it was just the author beefing it up to make a better story." Chance answered honestly.

"That's what I thought, but now with this staff right in front of me I'm not so sure." Rachi leaned back in her chair, sighing. "This could be some huge piece to a missing puzzle. The ancient tales said ancient Jedi were capable of manipulating the very elements around them, fire, wind, water, earth and lightning, creating storms in space which decimated enemy fleets, mass illusions which hid armies, even living for centuries, sometimes millennia beyond their supposed life expectancy."

Chance looked absently over her shoulder, noticing the prominent bags under her eyes. "How long have you been awake?"

Rachi yawned without meaning too. "Since these staffs were brought to me."

"That was fourteen hours ago."

"Was it?" she asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes," he replied with a chuckle, taking her hand and gently tugging her to her feet. "Come on, I think you could use a few hours of sleep."

"I'm really fine," she tried to interject, only to find herself yawning again and cursing herself for it. "There's no need for sleep, I still have so much work to do. Nora is expecting a report on these things in... oh, when was it?"

"And that's how tired you are." Chance told her dryly, finding a couch and coercing her to at least sit on it. "A few hours of sleep won't do you much harm."

"I suppose your right," she relented at last, lying down. "Just for a few hours though... wake me up at... three."

"You got it, milady." Falkirk replied, knowing she was already asleep by the intake and outtake of breath. He gently pushed back one of her headtales to see her face at peace. Rachi Sitra was really beautiful when she slept. He produced a small holo-camera. "Sorry ma'am, but the lads are going to love this."

He was about to take the first picture when the mechanical doors at the other side of the chamber opened, revealing fellow Jedi and Master Sabbath on the other end. He looked right at Chance with tired eyes, then at Rachi, still blissfully asleep, and then back at Chance again before his chocolate orbs fell upon the camera. "If you were about to strip her naked and take photos then let me tell you. You will not make it out of this room alive."

"No, that wasn't what I was going to do." Falkirk replied, tossing his camera back into his duffle bag.

"I am relieved," Gabriel said dryly, folding his arms across his chest. "Wake her up for a moment would you, I have something that can't wait."

Chance sighed before gently shaking the sleeping woman's shoulder, watching as she stirred, groaned and opened her eyes. "What?"

"Sorry ma'am, but your friend over there wants to talk to you, apparently it can't wait."

Rachi looked over at Gabriel with bleary eyes before dispelling her tiredness with a simple wave of the force, for all intents and purposes she was fully alert and awake as she sat up and flashed Chance an apologising look. "I'm sorry Major, could you excuse us for a moment."

"Yes ma'am," Falkirk replied before leaning in to whisper into her cone shaped ear. "Just try to get a couple of hours sleep would you?"

She nodded, "Don't worry, I will."

With that promise the Major smiled and excused himself, leaving the two Jedi Masters alone in the room. Gabriel sighed before walking over and sitting down beside his old friend, looking her over and noticing how tired she looked. "I could come back later."

She waved him off with a tired smile. "What is it, Gabriel?"

"It's about our two new recruits," Gabriel replied, leaning back. "I've been thinking about who would be best to take them on as apprentices."

I know," Rachi cut him off lightly. "I was expecting you to come to this conclusion. The only Jedi within the fleet capable of instructing those two are you and me."

"That's the basics of it, yes." Gabriel agreed with a nod. "Both of them are fairly strong in the force, and they will need Masters to guide them. You and I are the best options in that regard. Out of our fellow knights I feel only Jaden and Gabrielle are ready for ascension to Mastery, and to do that they will need to successfully elevate an Apprentice to a Knight, but these two recruits need an experienced hand to guide them, meaning us."

"I understand," Rachi replied, leaning forward with all sign of tiredness forgotten for the moment. "I will take Marie Saunders as my apprentice. She isn't suited for battle, and I feel my experience in other fields will be more beneficial for her in the long run. Alana Varne is probably best in your care. You've been where she is now, so you are the better option to teach her."

"I had my sister beside me during the hardest times," Gabriel countered. "And you are the more experienced Master."

"True, but you could be for her what your sister was for you, and vice versa." Rachi replied without hesitation. "We will not be their only teachers Gabriel, the others will have things to teach them that we cannot, but we will be their main teachers. As masters it is our decision to who those two become apprentices too, and I accept your decision. I will take Marie, you will take Alana, and we will help each other to train them properly."

Gabriel smiled down at her, "I am lucky to have you here to help me."

Rachi laughed lightly, "Luck has nothing to do with it my friend, it is the will of the force that we be here."

"Maybe," Gabriel replied before leaning forward and kissing his friend right on the forehead. "Get to sleep my friend. You look like you could use it."

"Now that's rude," she pouted.

"The truth is usually conceived as rude," he retorted.

"Good point," she relented with a sigh and a smile.

"Sleep, now." Gabriel almost commanded, smile in place as his old friend finally gave into the temptation.

* * *

Sleep didn't come easy for Alana these days. Ever since the incident aboard the _Hand of Salvation _her dreams had been plagued with her father's pleas, her mother's screams and the laughs of those who defiled and murdered them before her very eyes. Her father lying in a pool of his own blood, shot several times and left to die. Her mother stripped of her clothes and raped repeatedly, stealing her pride and dignity from her before finally ending her suffering with a shot to the forehead.

She awoke with a choked off cry, panting heavily for breath, skin sheathed in a layer of sweat which soaked her night clothes. She would just sit there, stark straight for a long time before burying her face in her hands, willing the pseudo-memories to disappear. She gritted her teeth so hard they scrapped and shut her eyes tightly.

The door to her room opened, startling her, and Alana looked up to see her fellow Apprentice. Marie was dressed in a nightgown, looking at the much younger woman with a worried gaze. There was no pity in her eyes, just worry and understanding. She had her own horrific nightmares, "Bad dreams again?"

Alana nodded, mutely accepting Marie as she pulled her from the bed and guiding her from her room to the lobby. Marie set her down on the table before moving to the small en-suite kitchen, pouring recently made Caf into three cups before picking them up and setting them on the table. "You need to talk to one of the Jedi about this Alana."

"I don't want to bother them about it," the teenager replied, leaning her head against her folded arms. "Things have been so hectic around here."

"But maybe they can help you," Marie pressed on without hindrance, leaning forward and forcing the younger woman to look her in the eye. That was Marie Saunders to the core. Compassionate, good natured and not afraid to butt her nose into someone elses business if she thought she could help. "I've been doing some reading into the datapads they've given us, and there are techniques. Maybe that Bothan one... Trey'lis. He is a healer maybe he knows something."

"He's been busy helping with the wounded since that battle on Kronus. There are people dying in there Marie, I can't pull him away just because I've been having nightmares."

Marie sighed, exasperated. She was the eldest and by far the most experienced in life, sometimes Alana felt like she was a child under the scrutiny of a parent when around her, not surprising since the incident had made them both pretty close, almost like sisters despite the fifteen odd year age gap. "You need to talk to someone about this Alana. I mean you don't sleep unless you're exhausted, and you barely eat. You're going to collapse at this rate."

"Indeed she will,"

The voice caused both women to jump and turn in their seats to see the person who spoke. The Bothan, Hossk Trey'lis was standing at the opened hydraulic doors, fully dressed in his robes and looking at the two of them with a soft smile. "May I come in?"

Marie rose to her feet, "Yes, Master Trey'lis. I'm sorry we didn't see you."

"It's alright, Gabriel tells me I have a knack for sneaking up on people." The Jedi Healer replied as he entered the room and took a seat on the table.

Alana looked at him with a tired curiosity, as she did with all non-human members of this ship. Both her and Marie had been nervous being around them at first, ten thousand years of dogma on the evils of the alien didn't vanish overnight. But over time they began to get by their nervousness and finally see these people for who they were. They noticed that Dani Blue was funny and mischievous. They noticed that Rachi Sitra was noble, strong and wise, and they noticed Hossk Trey'lis was a truly kind and caring soul. Over time they had come to see and accept this.

"Hmm," Hossk hummed as he looked at Alana with an intense gaze. It made the young woman nervous. "Let me get a look at you. Don't worry dear I don't bite."

His clawed hands cupped her face, making her look into his warm dark eyes, which were giving her a calculating look. He looked her over before frowning. "Signs of sleep deprivation, tell me how often do you sleep?"

"She doesn't," Alana shot Marie a slightly betrayed look which the older woman shrugged off. "She has nightmares, bad ones."

"I see," Hossk replied, releasing his soft grip on her face and leaning back. "What are these nightmares about and why haven't you come to me sooner? I had to hear this from Lady Sitra, she saw how you were and became worried."

"I didn't mean to worry her," Alana replied timidly. "But you were all so busy and I... I didn't want to-"

"My dear, as a healer I am obligated to help whoever I can, and you would have been no trouble if you had of just come to me and talked to me about this." Hossk nodded his thanks to Marie as she set a cup of Caf in front of him. "Sometimes it helps to talk about your troubles. Tell me child, what ails you?"

Alana was silent for a moment, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "I dream about my parents... how they died."

Trey'lis nodded his head in understanding. "I have heard, and I am sorry."

"Thank you Master."

"Just Hossk is fine young one." Hossk did not even spare a glance to his steaming cup, he was paying his undeniable attention to Alana.

Alana nodded, before looking at her knees, noticing her hands curl up into fists and shaking. "I... I just dream of it over and over. I see my father pleading for them to let me and mom go. They shoot him several times and leave him on the ground. I see my mom take my place when they were about to come for me... they did things to her... terrible things. Her creams and cries haunt my dreams. Then they killed her, but she looked dead long before they finally did it, her eyes, they looked so-"

A sob escaped her then, and she buried her face in her hands to try and muffle it. She felt a hand gently grip her shoulder, and saw Marie right beside her. She felt another hand on hers, and looked up to see Hossk. The Knight sighed. "I see, I am sorry that we were not able to come sooner, I really do."

"No," she managed, taking a quaking breath. "No it's not your fault, it's theirs. They did that to her, and laughed while doing it. I know that being a Jedi means giving up on emotions like hate, fear and anger but every time I think about it I see their faces. I hate them so much. If Master Sabbath hadn't have killed them to save me I would drag them back from the warp and kill them again."

Hossk looked at this girl, broken and lost, for a long time before he spoke. "Oh Alana, such emotions are natural. We understand that now and you have no need to fear about how you feel. But to keep this hurt, this pain bottled up will do nothing but cause you more pain. You must share your pain, allow others who love you to help you shoulder it, and you must always remember that although they are gone your parents will always be with you."

He reached out, pointing to her chest then to her head. "They will be with you in your heart and your head. Never forget them, remember the good times you shared with them, and never try to block your emotions, never. If you ever feel so weighed down then talk to me, or Marie or Gabriel or Rachi, or anyone willing to help you. Do you understand?"

She sniffed, but nodded her head. "Yes Master, thank you."

"Good, now we must deal with your nightmares." Hossk replied with a smile. "As Miss. Saunders has said I do know quite a bit in meditations which may help you sleep better, are you willing to accept my help?"

"Yes, Master."

"It's Hossk young one, only Hossk."

"Master Trey'lis... I mean Hossk," he looked up at Marie, who was smiling. "Just Marie is fine."

He smiled a vulpine smile before nodding his head. "Very well, Marie and Alana I bid you good day. Thank you for the Caf, and Alana please come to my office tomorrow after your training session. We'll see what we can do about those nightmares. Tell your master about it as well."

He rose from his chair and made his way to the door before either woman could question him further on what he said. Training session? Neither of them had been apprenticed to one of the Jedi yet. So the only reason he would tell them this was if they were going to be apprenticed soon, very soon. The door remained open as the Jedi Healer left, and as if on cue two more Jedi filed into the room, sharing a brief greeting with Master Trey'lis... Hossk before he took his leave.

Marie knew who these two were, the only Masters of the six warrior-monks, Gabriel Sabbath and Rachi Sitra. Gabriel was easy to recognise considering they were very familiar with him. The man was quite handsome, roughly between his mid to late twenties in age. His hair was made up of short, straight brown locks. His face was chiselled, holding within them deep chocolate eyes, a sharp nose and a couple of day's old stubble. His robes were baggy, hiding his physique, yet Marie was well aware that the man was at his peak of physical fitness with a leanly muscled frame.

Rachi wasn't human, that was the first thing Marie thought when she first saw her. Yet the woman had an exotic beauty about her, skin of a deep purple her two long head tails flowing down her back in place of hair, held in a black clasp of crisscrossing leather, her features were sharp and her eyes sharper. The outfit she wore was the complete opposite of Master Sabbath, form fitting and showing some very impressive feminine curves yet she was obviously as physically fit as the man beside her, and of the two she was the eldest Master.

It was she who spoke, with a disarming smile that made both women feel slightly at ease, "Alana, Marie, good evening."

Both women bowed their heads respectfully, "Master Sitra, Master Sabbath."

Gabriel smiled then, "Please have a seat, both of you."

They complied, but not until Marie was able to serve the two slightly worn Masters a cup of Caf each. It was as the two Jedi finally began to relax that the two potential recruits noticed the bags under their eyes, like they had been working for days on end without much if any sleep. "You two look like you've been busy."

"We have," Gabriel nodded.

"Can you tell us?" Alana asked, curious.

Gabriel and Rachi looked at each other for a moment before shrugging. "Why not, you two heard about what happened over the last few days, our little adventure on Kronus?"

Both women nodded. "Yea, it's kind of hard not to know about it with the way everyone's been talking."

Gabriel smiled a little. Long story short they had a small army of Eldar on this ship. So far they'd been well behaved. SpecForce troopers were having a blast challenging the Howling Banshee's to sparring, and there were people trying to teach their Rangers how to play Sabaac. Not exactly something he was willing to share with these two. It wasn't that he didn't trust them but until about a few weeks ago they were imperial citizens and they were both still trying to adjust to life here. Just two days ago Marie fainted when she bumped into one of the Wookie engineers on the flight deck.

"Anyway, we'll talk about that later." Gabriel finally set his half empty cup down and looked at both. "I apologise for taking too long to decide, events were a little out of our control. Now that things have settled down we can now apprentice the two of you to masters."

Both sat up straighter and took notice, even as Gabriel continued to speak.

"Usually we would apprentice you to one of the Knights, but with your high Midichlorian levels I would feel it more prudent to apprentice you to one of us. Alana, from here on out you will be my apprentice. Marie, we have decided to apprentice you to Master Sitra here. I understand if you will be a little apprehensive, but she is one of the best teachers I have ever met."

Marie looked over at the Twi'lek Jedi Master, nodding her head with a soft smile. "I am sure that I will adjust Master."

"Glad to hear it, for now the two of you get some rest. We will be beginning your training tomorrow morning, be awake and ready by 08:00 sharp, and be prepared for a long day." Gabriel rose to his feet, smiling. "Now if you'll excuse me we've both had a long day, and I believe sleep is in order."

* * *

The _Guardian _had undergone a sort of transformation over the long months since she and her escort found themselves lost in another galaxy, something that would be considered downright forbidden by the Alliance military if they ever saw it.

The Star Dreadnought was already considered something of a space travelling city, its residential areas capable of holding the entire crew of up to and over three hundred thousand people. There were sleeping quarters, showers, cafeterias, fully equipped gyms and a small number of entertainment centres. Since then a small number of other places of business had been installed, most notably several bars, some official, many others considered speakeasies, under the radar.

Jaden Korr sighed as he plopped down on a chair, wiping the sweat from his brow with a towel. He was unable to get much sleep since the battle on Kronus, any dreams he had were invaded by the green beams of gauss weapons and the gleaming metal bodies of the Necron. He wasn't the only one. Many Alliance soldiers of the 33rd Coreworld Division were dealing with the horrors they had witnessed in their own ways, either by getting themselves drunk or working themselves to exhaustion in one of the capital-ships many gyms. Jaden had opted for the latter.

He wasn't the only one, and it appeared it wasn't just the Alliance forces who couldn't sleep. Several meters to his right a small fighting competition was taking place between several SpecForce troopers and a handful of Howling Banshees, both sides had removed their armour and went for wearing much lighter clothing, and Jaden noted how similar, yet how different Eldar looked when compared to the humans they were grappling against.

The Banshees were all lithe and slender in appearance, facial features were much sharper and skin was very pale, not surprising considering they had lived most of their lives on space-faring artificial worlds. Besides their hair, their hair colour was more vibrant as well, ranging from browns to blacks to whites, reds, greens and even blues yet besides the hair on their heads there was no other signs on their bodies. Their eyes were also different, so much more colourful than those of humans, ranging from crimson, to violet, to deepest brown, ice blue, metallic silver and burgundy. Their ears were much longer and dagger shaped, almost as long as a Sephi's.

Jaden shook his head, and took a long swig of his water bottle, pouring a dose of it over his head to cool himself down. His hand flew up instinctively, catching the silver hilt of his lightsaber out of complete reflex. He looked up in time to see a woman standing in front of him, armed with a mirrorsword which was held casually in her right hand.

She was beautiful, he saw, and definitely Eldar. Her hair was crimson and flowed down her back, pale skin and sharp facial features, twin orbs of weathered burgundy looked down at him with an intensity only a soldier could have. Even though she carried a weapon she did not wear her armour, instead opting for a simple body hugging mesh-like suit, dull silver which showed her curves

"You are Jedi Knight Jaden Korr, correct?" He nodded his head in response. "My name is Ambrosia, Exarch of the Howling Banshees of Ulthwe. I saw you in action in the Thur'Ablis plateau."

"And I saw you," Jaden replied. "Your rank gives you little credit in your skills, milady."

"Perhaps," Ambrosia replied with a nod, and then got right to the point. "I challenge you to a match, weapons only. First blood wins. Do you accept?"

"A lightsaber does not draw blood milady, so I will not use it." Jaden replied, watching as she drew her spare mirrorsword without a thought and tossed it to him. Once again the Jedi caught it on reflex, marvelling at how light it was in weight, as light as his lightsaber, beautifully crafted from its hilt to its guard to its shimmering liquid silver blade.

"Will that suffice as a replacement?"

Jaden stood and took a couple of practise swings, well aware that the sparring between the Howling Banshees and SpecForce had stopped, both sides looking over at the two. "It will."

"Good, then follow me." She spun on her heel and stalked out towards the central training mat, Jaden hesitating for a moment before sighing and following suit.

* * *

The courtyard was a simple barren creation of concrete, large enough to hold a battalion of soldiers. Huge walls rose on all sides, nearly thirty meters tall at their highest with even higher guard towers rising up as if they were attempting to pierce the sky. Draped on these towers were the black flags, the Imperial two headed eagle emblazoned upon them.

Men in black armour stood guard in the towers, looking down upon the courtyard with emotionless black masks. Yet more of these men stood to the sides, in lines thirty across, hellguns held to parade ground attention in their hands.

Three hundred people were herded into the clearing like cattle, all of them looking worse for wear with their tattered uniforms, bodies covered in small cuts and bruises from obvious abuse. Some looked so weak they swayed on their feet as they were roughly moved to the centre of the courtyard by a platoon of black armoured soldiers.

Silence permeated the air for a handful of moments before the sounds of weapons being cocked broke the silence. The black armoured soldiers began to advance towards the three hundred unarmed prisoners, making it three steps before pulling the triggers of their hellguns, incessant lances of crimson lasfire, so fast it seemed like continuous beam peppered the now terrified prisoners, dropping many with burning clothes. Screams of men and women rose up before being harshly muffled and then silenced by the gunfire.

The black armoured guards did not stop firing until all sound and movement from the prisoners ceased, and when they did the three hundred men and women, herded into the centre of the courtyard a few moments ago were nothing more than a pile of slack and unmoving corpses. There was only one survivor who crawled from the massacre, a young girl, maybe eighteen and twenty, sobbing piteously.

A single black armoured soldier stalked towards her, slinging his hellgun and drawing a bolt pistol from his holster, chambering a round before he was right in front of her. The girl was shaking violently, face smeared with slimy tears. He did not hesitate. He pointed the gun to her head and pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang which echoed through the yard. The sobbing ceased as the girl fell back to the ground, top of her head blown to bloody pieces of brain matter, shattered bone and blood.

On an observation deck to the north wall Colonel Jorge Maxwell turned and smiled chillingly at the man beside him. "Now do you see Captain? The more you resist the more of your people I will have to kill."

The man was dressed in the uniform of an Alliance Captain, in his later years with cut short white hair and a well trimmed beard. He looked down at the site of the massacre, eyes bulging and wrinkled face pale. "We surrendered without a fight and this is what we get!"

"Why of course, you willingly ally yourselves with such filthy xeno scum and expect to be treated as equals?" The Colonel actually looked surprised by his outburst. "The galaxy belongs to us and us alone Captain."

"You truly are monsters aren't you?"

"Oh I can assure you Captain," Maxwell replied with a twisted grin. "There are things out there much worse than us, but that is a story for another time. Our demands are the same as before. Give us the codes to your delightful little warship and the killing will stop. If you don't comply I'll have my men handpick another three hundred of your crew to meet the same end as those out there. That should bring the death toll to, oh about twelve thousand, no?"

Captain Wingates ground his teeth and tightened his hands into fists, shoulders shaking with barely contained rage and sorrow before sagging in defeat. He looked up at the mad Colonel's eyes. "Very well, I'll give you the codes to my ship. Just stop killing my people."

"Of course Captain," Maxwell replied with a jovial smile which seemed morbid to the Alliance Captain. "Just give me the codes and the killing will end, I swear it on the name of the Emperor."

* * *

The battle was over.

The Blood Ravens had won.

Inquisitor Hans Jaeger looked over the planet of Kronus, eyes watching as the planet continued on its lazy axis as if unaware of the blood spilled on its soil. The Blood Ravens had cut a swath of destruction and carnage across the planet, first forcing the Eldar to withdraw, then sweeping in an anticlockwise motion across the continent, destroying the Tau, then the Orks, Chaos and finally the Imperial Guard of Lukas Alexander.

There would be questions on the Blood Ravens actions this day, destroying xenos and traitors was one thing, attacking fellow servants of his reverent Imperial Majesty was another thing entirely. The men of the 1st Kronus Regiment, badly beaten and suffering many casualties, were even now being loaded onto Troop ships and sent off world. An entire battalion had been massacred to the last man for betraying their commander and siding with the Space Marines in their moment of victory.

Good riddance to them was the Inquisitors thought, yet he knew that the Blood Ravens actions today were worrying to say the least. It was not his problem. Word had reached his ears that a retinue of Inquisitors and Adeptus Sororitas had been dispatched to the planet. It would be their job to question the commanders, not his.

He had other, more pressing issues to sort out. "You are sure of this?"

"Definitely milord, the communiqué was clear." Grant replied. "A ship matching the description was found and captured by an Imperial Battlecruiser, the _Majesty of Faith_, and transported to the prison world of Topaz V."

"Topaz V is lightly defended," Jaeger muttered, a slight smile adorning his features. "And if word that one of their ships was captured was leaked perhaps this Admiral Halos would attempt to mount a rescue."

"My thoughts exactly," Grand responded with a bow.

"Gather the fleet and set a course for Topaz V."

"At once my lord Inquisitor, it will be done."

* * *

"I see," Silvermane clasped his hands together and sighed heavily. "That is indeed troublesome."

"Every word he said was true, milord." Tobias nodded his head. The two men were sitting in the Lord Admiral's living chambers aboard the Battleship _Royal Oak, _relaxed with full glasses of iced Terran whiskey nursed in their hands. "What was worse I believed that this man, Admiral Halos, could have been talked down had the Inquisitor been more... diplomatic."

"Diplomacy was never one of Jaeger's strong points," Silvermane replied as he massaged his forehead for the umpteenth time. "And the fire fight definitely leaves us at a disadvantage. They're weapons are capable of hitting us well before we get within range, a Grand Cruiser forced to withdraw before she could bring her guns to bear, a flagship bigger than even an _Emperor-class_ and capable of unleashing similar if not greater firepower... this Alliance is a force to be reckoned with."

"Indeed, milord."

The old Inquisitor brought his full glass to his lips and took a sip, "Troublesome would be considered an understatement. I may need to call upon your fleet to aide me, would that be possible?"

"The battle of Kronus has come to an end," Tobias replied with a frown. "Though I question why the Blood Ravens attacked our ground forces with the same ferocity as the xenos and traitors. I will accompany you with the _Royal Oak,_ and I can spare the Cruisers _Undying Light _and _Bride of the Emperor_ to your cause. The rest must return to Archona, and prepare for further battle with the Tau Empire."

"Such assistance is more than I could have hoped for," Silvermane nodded, raising his glass for a quiet toast, "To the future, Lord Admiral Tobias."

Tobias touched his glass against the Lord Inquisitors with an audible clink, "Yes milord, to the future."

Both men downed their strong concoctions without batting an eye, and with a nod from the Inquisitor Tobias made to refill the glasses. The door burst open, almost making the Admiral lose his grip on the prized ale. It was one of the Lord Inquisitors own retinue, a tall and lean man dressed in a white suit and tie, sombrero hat over his head and twin bolt pistols holstered to his waist.

Silvermane looked up with a raised brow, "What is the matter, Le Chat?"

The man spoke in a slightly accented tongue, Obscuras if Tobias remembered. "I apologise for intruding milord, but this message was just decoded. I thought you would be intrigued by the information."

Silvermane gave his man a questioning gaze before relenting and holding out his hand for the dataslate, taking it without hesitation and reading over the information that scrolled across the glowing screen. His eyes widened as he read, then narrowed before the slate exploded in his hand, making the Lord Admiral, a seasoned veteran of several years of war jump in slight surprise at the suddenness.

"This is indeed a problem," Silvermane murmured as he let the ruined remains of the slate slide from his palm to the floor. His hand was still sparking with crimson warp lightning as he spoke. "I apologise Lord Admiral but there's been a change in plans, we leave immediately."

"Of course my lord," Xavier Tobias replied, recovering quickly, "But where too?"

The Inquisitor looked his counterpart in the eye, and the Lord Admiral knew immediately that Silvermane was not happy. "Topaz V and I want to get there before that fool Jaeger, perhaps stop a bad situation from becoming worse."

* * *

_**Author's Alert 1: **__Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story._

_**Author's Alert 2: **__Coursework is going much better than expected and I was able to get this chapter done and finished in my spare time. A 6000 word Dissertation done to my liking within sixteen hours of me starting, god I am so tired, but it was worth it. The eight weeks of site visits and interviews helped a great deal though._

_**Author's Alert 3: **__Hope this chapter is more to the liking of the morbid out there. I had a short story that I wanted to place at the end, but felt that it would distract people from the mood I wanted to bring to this chapter._


	20. Foreboding

_**Chapter 19**_

_**Foreboding**_

"Scouting unit has returned ma'am, confirmed report that it is the representative of Alexandretta on the other end, aboard the Frigate _Invulnerable_. No other vessels have been reported on long range scanners."

Vice-Admiral Gabriella Rosso nodded her head, watching from the security foyer as a formation of four modified TIE Interceptors appeared in a quartet of white flashes before soaring across the darkness towards safety in her Star Destroyers hold. "Wait until the squadron safely land, then set a course for the rendezvous point."

"Aye, ma'am."

The moment the TIE Interceptors were safely docked the stars become long lines, indicating that the Star Destroyer had jumped into hyperspace, travelling multiple times the speed of light from their position to the position of their trading partners. The _Vigilance _appeared on the scene a mere five seconds after she entered hyperspace, bringing her within ten thousand kilometres of the Imperial vessel, _Invulnerable, _which turned out to be a _Sword-class _Frigate.

The class was an ancient yet reliable design in the Imperium, roughly the same size as her Star Destroyer and sporting just as much firepower. It was, for all intents and purposes, the _Hammerhead-class _Cruiser of the Imperium, which had been the primary warship design for the Old Republic for thousands of years.

"We are being hailed."

"Put him through." She nodded before making to stand at attention, arms behind her back and posture straightened as the hologram appeared before her. The man on the other end was dressed in the robes of Alexandretta royalty, a man in his early thirties with a bald head and dark eyes. "This is Vice-Admiral Gabriella Rosso of the Alliance Star Destroyer _Vigilance, _with whom am I speaking?"

The man nodded his head in response. "My name is Vincent Lakota milady, second crowned prince of Alexandretta."

Remembering proper protocol when addressing a representative of this world the Vice-Admiral bowed her head ever so slightly, "We are honoured to speak with a member of the Royal Family, Prince Lakota."

"And I am honoured to meet with an important figure of our saviours." The man replied with a smile.

Alexandretta would be considered a midlevel world in the Imperium of Man. Holding some importance as a small trading hub located three hundred light years from the Tau Empire, well within the protection of Imperial space. The population was roughly around a billion people, give or take a few thousand and governed by a monarchy of wealthy merchant families, who using their wealth and influence were able to become twelve Royal Houses well before the era of the Great Crusade.

The Alliance happened upon this small trading hub by accident, learning that the trade routes around the planet had a high threat of piracy. Nine merchant vessels had been looted and destroyed a month before they made contact and the planets small flotilla of warships was unable to deal with the threat.

Halos immediately sent a trio of Star Destroyers to scout the lanes under the guise of large royal transports and within three days were attacked by the pirates. In the battle that followed the majority of the pirate flotilla, vessels which were mostly made up of heavily modified freighters were either crippled or destroyed and the flotilla was able to follow them to their base of operations, forcing what was left of the outlaws to surrender.

In response to this aide the King of Alexandretta, Dutch Lakota, had secretly hammered out trading terms with the Galactic Alliance as well as a defensive alliance should the pirate threat ever rise again. The agreement had been a lucrative venture for both sides, in return for their protection the planet smuggled food, water, spare parts and infrastructure to the fleet, helping them keep their ships and their colony on Haven supplied until it could stand on its own. This type of agreement had been reached with at least thirty worlds across the Imperium in the seven months since they came here.

That was the reason why they had called upon the GFFA once again, or so Rosso thought. The pirate threat must have resurfaced, in which case she would contact High Command immediately and have a taskforce of Star Destroyers sweep the trade routes for the belligerent troublemakers. It was not meant to be.

"So what is the situation?" she inquired. "If the pirate threat has resurfaced just tell us where the attacks are taking place."

"It is nothing like that," the man replied. "We decided to help your people out for a change, Vice-Admiral. I am sending information which would be considered highly sensitive, and extremely important to your people."

Rosso frowned as the information was exchanged, eyes already scanning the opened datafile on her holotable. Her eyes widened at the visual images displayed a Star Destroyer, undeniably _Imperial-class_, in dry dock over a planet she was unfamiliar with. "Exactly three days ago one of our trade fleets was making a routine visit to the Topaz Star System and came away with this. If I am not mistaken that starship design is almost identical to that of your ship, am I correct?"

"It is," Rosso replied as she hit several runes, magnifying the image a thousand fold to get a good look at the name of this vessel. Sure enough the _Independence _was written across the hull. "It's our lost ship, we owe you and your people a great deal for this information, your majesty, I am sure it was a dangerous course of action to take."

"Not at all, Vice-Admiral." The second prince of Alexandretta waved his hand good-naturedly. "You and your fleet have protected us. As such we owe you a great deal. Consider this a gift between allies and a hopeful continuation of our lucrative relationship."

Rosso bowed her head, "Consider it done."

"If you are to retrieve your lost ship then I would recommend you'd hurry. Topaz V is one of the most notorious penal colonies in the sector, and also holds an Inquisitorial installation. Its defences are rather light, a handful of ships, but my recommendation remains."

"Why is that, honoured prince?"

"Because my father, the King, had our intelligence network do some digging and two Inquisitors of note are on their way to the system," Lakota looked into Rosso's green eyes. "Both have their own war fleets and allies which they are bringing with them. Seems like a race. You have two days before they arrive, that makes it two days to retrieve your lost ship before it becomes lost to you forever."

* * *

"The information is reliable," Rosso stated through the hologram, face set in stone and posture at attention. "I have had the images thoroughly scrutinised and checked over by my top researchers and there is no doubt. The images are real and that means that the _Independence _is in Imperial hands."

Halos nodded from his chair, hand massaging his temple as he heard the news from the Vice-Admiral, all around him were other life sized holograms of the other ship captains as well as Field Marshal Mathews and the Jedi representative, Rachi this time. "I want to know everything about this Topaz V. I want to know what class of world it is, its population, military presence, defence systems, fleet composition and position in the Imperium."

"It was all supplied," Rosso replied, datapad held in her slender hand as she listed off the information. "Topaz V, Penal colony located in the Segmentum Ultima, population ten million. Military presence includes a large number of Adeptus Arbites and PDF. Orbital defences are light, just a Cruiser and four Frigates, though I would rather check that out beforehand."

Halos listened to her information silently, only speaking when she was finished. "And we are sure that Inquisitor Jaeger is en-route to that world?"

"Yes Admiral, as well as another Inquisitor, this one a Lord, called Silvermane." Rosso nodded her head as she spoke. "From my calculations our force can arrive at the planet within eighteen hours of leaving Haven, which gives us a six hour time limit between getting in, saving the crew, regaining the _Independence _and leaving before either fleet show."

"That's a very limited time." Mathews pointed out. "And the information is third hand at best. The Imperium could use the time to reinforce that planet for the Inquisitors arrival. Taking out the fleet in orbit may prove tricky, and recuing so many people would mean that we would need to completely conquer an entire facility, perhaps more than one."

"We can't leave them though." Sor'ai pointed out.

"And we won't," Joseph calmed. "We're going all out on this one. The Star Destroyers _Dauntless, Repulse _and _Bulwark _will remain behind to guard Haven. The rest are coming with us. Be ready people for we leave within the half hour."

The Captains all saluted in unison before vanishing one by one as the holograms discontinued, leaving Halos, Flore and Sitra in the chamber alone. When all signs pointed out that the meeting was over the Admiral sagged into his chair and massaged his temple. "Force preserve me, it's going to take some doing. Six hours may seem like a long time but not so during a battle like this."

"It's doable though." His second in command of the _Guardian _replied, though with a frown, "But in order to achieve it we'll need to knock out the orbital threats as quickly as possible, and that means a full on surprise attack."

"Agreed," Halos nodded, clasping his hands together. "We need a strategy and one where they won't notice us until we're right in their noses, long range bombardment will take too long to clear a path for us here."

Mathews cleared his throat, gaining his attention as he spoke. "I have an idea, but it is risky."

Halos, Sor'ai and Sitra looked at each other before turning back to the Field Marshal and nodding, asking him to continue.

* * *

Silvermane smiled upon the image before him, nodding his head in satisfaction before speaking, "I see, that is good news."

Vincent Lakota's face was unreadable as his image flickered across the monitor. "The information was given to the Alliance as per your request my lord. I have no doubt that they will be sending a force to reclaim the _Independence_."

"That is indeed good news," Silvermane repeated, small smile forming on his weathered lips. "You have done well your highness. In return I will definitely back you for the throne once your father passes to the Emperor's side."

"I am honoured to have your support in my claim my lord," Vincent bowed his head before the far older man, showing nothing more than respect for the old creature.

"Until then prince Lakota, I bid you a good day. May the Emperor protect you."

"And you sire."

Silvermane's smile remained until the monitor turned to static, only to be replaced with a frown before turning to a disgruntled looking Robyn. "Be calm my child."

"He's scum," Robyn growled as her hand gripped her staff. "Right down to his core he has none of his father's charm or leadership ability."

"Indeed he is," Silvermane rose from his command chair, exiting his small module to come face to face with his old student. The older Inquisitor was a full head taller than his fiery associate. "He has no talent to lead a world, and what is worse I have heard some disturbing rumours about his dealings with dissidents. It appears the moment he gains complete control of the planet he will declare it independent of the Imperium, leading to a long and costly war to reclaim it."

"Then why are you helping him?" she questioned harshly. He did not reprimand her, Robyn was one of only a few able to openly question him without having their head exploding, if only in private surroundings, but he did give her a warning glare which made her shy away ever so minutely.

He walked towards the great view-port of his personal quarters, silently signalling Robyn to follow. The representatives Frigate, the _Invulnerable _was well within view, an old and magnificent support vessel with roots back thousands of years. In the distance Robyn could make out the form of one of Lord Admiral Tobias's cruisers, most likely the _Bride of the Emperor_.

They watched the Frigate for a long moment before her mentor pressed the communicator on his wrist, speaking through it on the other end, and the sentence her master uttered brought a small smile to her face.

"Commence firing."

The silence was shattered as the great lance batteries of the _Right to Rule _opened fire in unison with such power that it made the aging Battlecruiser's form tilt to the portside from the pure destructive force unleashed. Long lances of golden energy converged on the Frigate, stopped by its void shields for only a few moments before they failed under the onslaught.

More weapons fire became visible, a deadly mass of firepower sent courtesy of the _Royal Oak_, that added to the firepower of the _Right to Rule _burnt away the heavy armour. Whole decks became open to space leaving the Frigate nothing more than a dead hulk in space. The two vessels kept firing until a stray shot hit the _Invulnerable's _exposed warp core. There was a bright flash which blinded Robyn for a moment, though Silvermane simply closed his eyes. When it cleared the _Invulnerable_ was nothing more than a mass of twisted and strewn about wreckage.

A scoff from the Lord Inquisitor made Robyn force her eyes from the scene, "_Invulnerable _indeed, what a name for such a small and fragile vessel. The name is more deserving for a capital ship, like a Grand Cruiser or a Battleship, wouldn't you agree Robyn?"

"Yes milord," she replied with a nod, cursing herself for forgetting how powerful and dangerous a man her teacher was, whole worlds rose and fell at his command. He had the authority to remove all life from a Star System from a nod of his head, killing a Prince and heir to the throne of a single world was nothing to him.

He was one of the most powerful and dangerous individuals in several sectors.

Good thing they were so close.

"What are you going to tell the King?"

"Father and son haven't been on speaking terms for some time," Silvermane replied dismissively as he turned around and made his way back to his command centre. "But if he does inquire I will tell him that it was most likely the work of a Chaos affiliated pirate flotilla, plenty of ships have suffered a similar fate and the traitor Battlecruiser _End of Days _is currently active in this area."

Yes, Lord Inquisitor Silvermane was a dangerous man and not one to be trifled with, "And the Alliance fleet."

"Let us remain on the backbench for now," her master replied, sitting in his control chair, surrounded once again by a dome of computers. "I wish to see what they are truly capable of, and Jaeger has buried himself in his own grave. His failure will be our success. His defeat will be our victory."

This was the Lord Inquisitor William Silvermane, a powerful man who knew what he was going to do and what moves he needed to take to achieve it. He was fearless, strong and through his considerable contacts and spy network knew just about everything there was to know. To truly surprise this old fox was extremely rare.

* * *

"One of the first lessons we learn as Jedi is that the force is everywhere." He began, walking backwards and forwards inside his quarters as he watched his new apprentice attempt to meditate. "It is in the air we breathe and the water we drink, the food we eat and the ground we sleep. Its energy is in every rock, tree, plant and animal, including us. Every living creature is connected to the force in varying ways, making up a tiny piece of an impossibly great whole."

"In order to understand what I am saying it is essential that you feel that power for yourself, immerse yourselves in its current. Feel its power and knowledge. Only then will you be able to even begin to truly understand what the force is." He looked around briefly.

Alana frowned as she tried to relax, but couldn't. Instead she opted to ask him questions instead. "Forgive me Master Sabbath, but how are we to do this?"

"Never ask for forgiveness for asking questions Alana, least of all to those who are supposed to teach you." Gabriel chided good-naturedly. "To answer your question the answer is simple. You meditate."

"Meditate?" Alana groaned as she repeated the word a little dubiously. That was what she had been trying to do for nearly an hour.

"Indeed," Gabriel nodded his head. "In order to understand and harness the force you will need one small but extensively important asset. That asset is control, control of your emotions, control of your actions, control of your thoughts and feelings. The force is a great power, and while it is a pure energy the hearts of people are easily corrupted by personal gain. Through the meditation arts I will teach you how to be able to clear your mind, focus outward than inward and with time and patience what you seek will become yours. You must become a blank slate, relax, take a deep breath and look inward beyond flesh and bone. You must look until you see it."

"See what?" Alana asked, once again closing her eyes and attempting to resume her supposed meditation.

"See the force swirling within you, your own reserves." Gabriel answered as he sat down, noticing a message on his holographic screen. "Let go of your emotions and conscious thoughts, instead concentrate on what you can feel happening within. The movement of white and red blood cells through your capillaries, every muscle of the heart, lungs, kidneys and liver doing their individual jobs with precision born of specialisation. Reach in further than that, much further."

Alana did so, calming her mind with effort and doing exactly what her master had instructed her to. She imagined the inner workings of her body, the calm rhythmic beat of her heart, the pulses of her organs, the flow of her blood and the mass of cells which lived and worked day in and day out to keep her alive. She imagined it all and through that she saw it, deep within herself, a ball of warmth which seemed so silly to miss.

Unconsciously she reached out towards this warmth, took it in her hands and gasped as the door was unlocked and thrown open. The warmth multiplied, flooding her form with energy and power, her senses became much sharper, her muscles felt more acute and her skin tingled as she felt the force, this wonderful psychic energy of the material realm, flow through her like water.

She was barely able to hear her master's voice, "Do you feel it?"

"Yes," she managed breathlessly.

"It's always a little overwhelming the first time you touch the force, but over time you will become more used to it." Gabriel explained. "With time and training you will be able to harness it out of unconscious instinct, but not yet."

The doors opened, and both Master and Apprentice looked up, concentration broken by the sudden intrusion. Gabriel smiled slightly when he noticed his sister half walk half limp into the room. Her arm was still bandaged by bacta rap, chest and stomach still taped, but her just being here meant that she had finally been discharged from the medical wing.

"You didn't escape from the medical wing did you?" Gabriel asked teasingly as he rose from his chair and walked over to his sister, embracing her lightly before taking her good hand and guiding her to the nearest chair. She didn't sit so much as she collapsed on it with an audible sigh of relief.

"Nah, just got discharged an hour ago."

"Why didn't you call for me?"

"Wanted to stretch my legs," she replied with a smile before her gaze fell upon Alana, meditation abandoned as she looked at the newcomer. "Good morning Alana."

The teenager smiled back at the woman, "Good morning, Knight Sabbath."

"Just Gabrielle is fine." The older woman waved off dismissively."Not many of our little group are really big on titles, if you don't count the stuffy old masters anyway."

"Ha ha," Gabriel said dryly. "Stop pestering my student, and Alana get back to work."

The teenager groaned but complied, closing her eyes and falling back into the basic meditative pose. It wasn't long before she was lost in her meditation again, breathing coming and going calmly and clearly. Gabriel wanted to laugh, "She takes to these studies like water takes to a sponge."

"A fast learner then," Gabrielle smiled as she leaned back into her chair.

"More than that," Gabriel replied as he leaned forward, clasping his hands together as he peered upon his newest apprentice, now completely lost in the depths of meditation and unable to hear them. "It usually takes new recruits anything from two weeks to two months to do what she has done in four days. To do what she has done shows an immense strength of character and an unshakable will."

"Sounds like a prodigy," his sister said softly, looking up at the ceiling of their communal area.

"If she was found in our home galaxy she would probably have been apprenticed to one of the High Masters, even taken tutoring by the Grand Master himself." Gabriel agreed, looking over at his sister. "It's too early to completely gauge what she's capable off, but I believe she has the ability and talent to surpass us all."

"Hmm," Gabrielle frowned as she continued to look up at the ceiling. "Sounds like you're throwing a lot of weight on her shoulders."

"You think so?"

"Yes, take it slow."

"I was going to keep it slow anyway, prodigy or no she will be instructed like anyone else." Gabriel changed to subject, going to more serious things. "You've heard the news I take it."

"About the _Independence,_" the younger twin inquired with a nod, adapting instantly to her brothers change in topic. "The Admiral is taking this very seriously. He's assembled three quarters of the fleet for the operation, the _Guardian _and eight Star Destroyers. Back home that would be quite a scary thing."

"And we're the ones doing recon." Gabriel leaned back in his chair. "Whose turn is it this time?"

"Jaden's I think." Gabrielle frowned as she tried to remember the roster. "Security around this planet is supposed to be light, a Cruiser and four Frigates."

"It's never that simple and the information we gained is third handed at best." Gabriel shook his head. "There'll be more."

"You're awfully sombre all of a sudden, brother." Gabrielle's voice took on a wistful tone as she spoke.

"Just a bad feeling," he replied softly. "There's a real foreboding feeling in the force, been there since we gained the information."

"I feel it too," Gabrielle's voice was just as soft and just as worried. "Something bad has happened, or is about to happen."

Gabriel remained silent.

* * *

Farseer Taldeer stood before the throne of wraithbone, watching as her fellow Farseer gazed at her through ethereal orbs of purple. She had heard many tales about Macha of Biel-Tan, from her unusual interest in the Blood Ravens Chapter of the Space Marines to the stories of her slaying a Greater Daemon single handed with the weapon leaning against her white throne.

Macha was at least three hundred years Taldeer's senior, making her somewhere near seven hundred years old, yet her features showed none of this age. Her face, as pale and sharp as any Eldar held an ethereal beauty behind it, deep eyes of brilliant power filled purple and long waist length hair of caramel. Her body was garbed in simple robes of bone white and lush green as she sat on her throne, surveying her visitors.

Flanking the right and left of her throne were two lines of her own Seer council, standing to attention in their full ceremonial armour like silent statues. Even in a Craftworld as militaristic as Biel-Tan, who prized the path of the warrior over the path of the seer, Macha was still held in high regard. Her grace and beauty was coupled with her knowledge and experience and her presence in the warp was tempered yet sparkling with contained power and energy.

Taldeer bowed her head lowly, even though they were Farseer's of Craftworlds with radically different beliefs and strategies it was only respectful to grant such a greeting to an elder. They were not the humans who killed each other over the smallest inconveniences. Her retinue made of her most trusted Seers and Exarch's followed her example and bowed before her.

In response Macha herself rose from her throne and nodded her head before gliding down the wraithbone steps of her chamber. Taldeer watched as each feather-light footfall released a ripple of energy through the beautifully crafted material of the floor. It wasn't long before the two women were but a few steps from each other, crimson eyes met and held purple.

"Farseer Taldeer, how good it is to see you alive and well." Macha greeted, lowering her head slightly. "When word reached us of what happened on Kronus we considered you and your forces lost."

"Farseer Macha, it is an honour." Taldeer returned the greeting fluently. "The future was clouded and uncertain, and I am ashamed to say that if it were not for outside help we would have all been lost."

"Walk with me," Macha invited and the two women walked away from their retinues, out of the audience chamber and into the Biel-Tan Farseer's private chambers, entrance vanishing as the wraithbone walls closed off the access. Now, alone and with a chance of privacy the two began to converse more freely. "You have met this new faction then, this Galactic Alliance?"

"I have," she nodded.

"Tell me, what do you make of them?"

Taldeer didn't allow her surprise to show. "I imagine you met them well before I was able, Farseer."

"Indeed I did, however I wish for another's opinion." Macha's face was unreadable as she sat on a chair, a beautiful artistic construction melded from the surrounding wraithbone. "Tell me, you have fought beside these Alliance humans and their allies, what do you make of them?"

Taldeer noticed Macha call them humans instead of Mon'Keigh, and she accepted it without thought, throwing them in with the humans of the Imperium would be considered the same as tossing the Eldar together with their darker brethren. It was insulting and infuriating. "They are naive to the workings of the galaxy, overly optimistic, curious and nearsighted for their own good. They have an idea as to what they face, but they still underestimate it. That said, I cannot deny their courage and if it wasn't for their actions me and my people would all be dead on the fields of Kronus."

"I see," Macha's eyes remained fixed on the younger Farseer's. "And what do you make of their... I suppose calling them Psykers is a wrong term. What do you make of these Jedi amongst them?"

Taldeer thought this one through for a moment before she answered. What did she make of these Jedi, practitioners of the powers of the material realm? "They are interesting, far more cautious than those they serve and calmer in their approach to a problem. They have shown to be talented warriors and adaptable commanders. They appear to be warrior monks, each with their own path they must take."

"Hmm," Macha seemed thoughtful for a moment. "A path you say?"

"Indeed, not so dissimilar from our ways, our paths of warriors and seers," Taldeer felt a little irritation flare at the thought, chided herself for it, and pressed on. "Their hierarchy consists of Apprentices, Knights and Masters and of these ranks there are certain specialisations they appear to strive for once the rank of Knight is achieved. A Knight can follow the paths of specialties known as Consular's, Sentinels and Guardians and of these three branches are more sub-paths which they can take."

Gabriel explained this to her well when she asked of it, and upon inquiring about his own specialty he simply smiled and called himself a Sentinel, but wouldn't tell her his sub-specialisation. Apparently there were so few Jedi back home that there was no real need to continue to rank them based on their speciality, until their numbers increased they would simply he termed as Consular's, Sentinels and Guardians. This led Taldeer to consider that the Jedi had been attacked and almost made extinct in the recent past, and upon inquiring Gabriel just shook his head and said.

"_The force may be a power without good and evil, but the emotions of sentient beings are another matter. We are always walking across a knife-edge between our own forms of order and chaos, darkness and light, sanity and insanity. A Jedi who gets drunk off of power can become a creature of immense power and corruption. Wars have been fought over it and my predecessors were unable to see the catastrophe until it was too late."_

Taldeer was intrigued, this meant that the Jedi were not these perfect beings as some of the more immature would believe, but they had their own evils they needed to face and defeat. This was why they were so rigidly structured and took the paths of warrior-monks instead of simple wanderers.

She heard the soft sounds of laughter and snapped from her thoughts to see her elder Farseer letting out a short laugh. "You appear to have become quite attached to these humans and their ally's young one."

"Not at all," she replied as calmly as she could muster. "I simply find them interesting to observe, nothing more."

"They are an interesting lot, I'll give you that." Macha said as her younger associate finally took a seat across from her, "However that naivety we find so endearing is not going to last. There will be trials ahead that will pierce their souls and make them see just how dangerous this galaxy is. A great catastrophe is coming, and one which is necessary and cannot be avoided."

"A catastrophe," Taldeer was adequate in her ability to see the many possible futures through her own soul stones, yet she had never thought to see the future of these allies of circumstance. "Do you refer to their attempts to regain their lost ship?"

"No, it will not come from that, but further still." Macha replied simply. "There will be a great calamity in their future, one which will cost them dearly and make them finally open their eyes. Through this we will see what they are capable off and if they are able to adapt from the losses it will bring. They will either emerge from this trial stronger than ever or they will perish."

"I see," Taldeer said hesitantly, and even though she did not say it Macha saw her intentions.

"You must not aide them, no matter what your feelings are." The flame haired Farseer looked at the much younger woman with eyes of the deepest, darkest purple. "If you decide to warn them then you will doom them all to a fate worse than that which fate has bestowed upon them."

"They saved us Farseer," Taldeer spoke up, showing her inexperience yet not caring. "They had fulfilled their debt to us when they helped us slay the Necron threat, and they could have just left us all there to die, but they didn't. They came back for us. They saved us from our allotted fate on that world. We owe them."

"You're youth shows in your naivety," the elder seer scolded firmly, voice calm yet her incredible presence in the warp rose in strength, making the air heavy and cold. Taldeer saw her breath leave her mouth as a dense mist and involuntarily shivered. "I know of your loss Taldeer. The loss of a child, your firstborn, on the field of battle is a terrible thing even for those like us. But your daughter made her choice to follow her path, and you cannot let those emotions cloud your judgement."

Taldeer gathered her own considerable presence in the warp and met her peer's eyes without flinching. "You believe that my actions and decisions are based off something like that? Then you are wrong."

"Am I?" Macha asked simply. "Then see this from my perspective. They bring their idealism and pacifistic ways here and think it will change this galaxy. It is the pinnacle of stupidity that they think that way. They must learn that this is not how this galaxy works. They need to know that or they will be destroyed."

"There is still a chance this calamity will destroy them," Taldeer pointed out, noticing a flicker of emotion in her peer's eyes.

It did not last.

"That is true. From the many strands of the future I was able to discern many paths. There is a chance that this trial may destroy them completely and utterly, with only a handful of survivors who would become lost to history. However there are more strands which show them vanishing from sight, and emerging stronger than ever." Macha rose from her chair and made her way back to the enclosed entrance to her chambers. "You may not like it Taldeer, but it is something that cannot be stopped and if you try you will doom them all to a worse fate."

Macha touched the wraithbone before her and the entrance reappeared as if from the air itself, she gave Taldeer another glance. "Look at your own stones, and see that what I say is the truth."

She left then, the wraithbone swallowing the entrance when she was safely from its grasp, leaving Taldeer alone in the chamber. A prisoner until whatever Macha had divined came to fruition. She opened her palm, allowing the multicoloured stones of her own soul gems to materialise. Giving in to the power they held she dived into the warp and began making delicate ministrations, going through a great mass of information, uncoordinated, confusing and forever changing, which would leave a human Psyker insane.

She looked through multiple paths in the Alliances future and after several hours of searching found that what Macha had said was the truth. She saw paths were the Alliance was destroyed to the last ship, yet others where they vanish into the space ways, just a few survivors and return, sometimes a decade, or a century later stronger than ever before, sometimes with allies and sometimes without. Their future was impossible to make out, yet she now knew that what Macha stated was the truth.

Those futures she saw where she intervened always led to ruin, both for the Alliance and the galaxy at large. Their first meeting with the forces of Chaos, if they did not go through this trial, would have ended in disaster, ripping their fleet apart through incursions and corruption and giving the emissaries of the Great Enemy access to technology which could tip the scale in their war against the untainted of the galaxy.

She saw Cadia fall, Ulthwe a dead hulk and the weak divide between the material and immaterial realms collide in a truly apocalyptic scale. She clutched her soul stones tightly, stopping their continuous stream of information before sagging into her chair, a single sentence going through her mind over and over.

_Macha was right._

* * *

_**Author's Alert 1: **__Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story._

_**Author's Alert 2: **__Three weeks, three pieces of coursework and nine mental breakdowns later and at last I have completed and handed in those abominable creations which have made my life hell over Easter and beyond. My last bout with my work took the form of a 28.5hr session which lasted from 10am on Thursday to 2:30pm on Friday, no joke. I never want to see another CAD lab for as long as I live, lol. All that is left is two exams and a presentation and I am free!_

_**Author's Note 3: **__Now onward from here. I can't really say much about this chapter, only that it paves the way for my next plan for the story. For anyone who is thinking 'Yes, he finally caved in' well I'm sorry to disappoint you but this was my plan from the beginning. I apologise to anyone who wanted to see more interaction between the Eldar and the Alliance, but I was never going to delve too much into that then I already have. Until next time folks, hope you like this one._


	21. Battle of Topaz

_**Chapter 20**_

_**Battle of Topaz**_

A flash of light was the only sign of arrival as the StealthX returned to real-space, its S-foils remaining on standby as it soared across the depths of the abyss at high speeds towards its destination. Jaden Korr stretched his muscles before flipping a few switches, bringing his ship back to manual. His astromech droid emitted a few beeps and clicks, signalling its agreement in returning control to him.

"Guess we're here." Jaden whispered, looking at the small orb which was the sun of the Topaz system, a small ball of molten orange in the darkness. Somewhere out there was the systems only habitable planet and he was here to find this world and assess its defences. He checked his ships systems, noticing that he was within maximum range of his StealthX's long ranged sensors.

"This should be close enough R10, do a scan."

The droid beeped in acknowledgement before setting to work, bringing the powerful sensors of the highly specialised snubfighter to bare upon an unsuspecting star system. The StealthX was the pinnacle of Alliance stealth technology. It may be noticeable to the Eldar sensors as Master Sabbath's confrontation painfully showed but it was more than adequate to keep him hidden from the eyes of the Imperials.

Information began to flood through his ships main computer, and looking upon it the Jedi began to get a description of the star system. Four planets circulated this middle aged sun, two too close to the blazing ball to be able to support life, another was well out of the way, a huge gas giant which he could spot from his position. It was the third planet in line which was in the perfect position and distance.

In orbit around that planet was their last missing ship, the _Independence_, and on the planet's surface was the crew. They had made it to this world on schedule, but still six hours was a very short window to mount a successful invasion, even if it was just to rescue their stranded crew and retake their lost warship.

He got the long range scans of the planet's orbit, watching as a mass of information flooded across his screen. Jaden took it all in as his little fighter darted ever closer towards his target. He needed to be close enough to gain visual confirmation of the planets orbital defences; otherwise the operation would not be able to begin.

It took an hour for his snubfighter to traverse the distance from its exit point to its maximum visual range, still a good three hundred thousand kilometres away from the planets orbit. Jaden looked upon the football sized sphere, seventy percent of its surface appeared to be made of water while the rest was the deep brown of mountains with the odd greenery of forests and valleys here and there.

His droid beeped an acknowledgement, signalling that the visuals had been taken and stored. Jaden brought them up on the screen, and cursed inwardly at what he saw. It appeared that they're information was a little off.

"Well this isn't good."

His astromech released a deep, worried moan, signalling its agreement.

* * *

"It's what we expected I suppose." Rosso said as her hologram flickered on the command deck. "And it's not as bad as our worst estimate."

Halos nodded his head, but his eyes had narrowed and teeth clenched at the sight. The _Independence _was definitely in orbit, anyone could make out the differences of one of their ships from Imperial craft. The Star Destroyer was docked in a large skeletal shaped bay, floating in high orbit like a piece of ripe fruit. He noticed the structure holding it in place looked like it had its own defences, including a handful of lance batteries and missile emplacements.

The size of the defensive force was equally worrying. Instead of a single Cruiser and four Frigates like the intelligence said the number was closer to two Cruisers and six Frigates. The capital-ships were definitely old _Gothic-class _Cruisers, old but strong vessels that packed a punch. The Frigates were a little more diverse, four of them were old _Sword-class_, same size as a Star Destroyer and quite sturdy. The other two were newer _Tempest-class_; ships designed more for short range fire fights than long range brawls.

"You're orders Admiral?"

Halos hesitated to answer his Captains question for a moment before sighing. "We can't afford to be indecisive, time is short and we have a mission to complete. Split the fleet into two groups. Rosso will take six Star Destroyers and come in here."

He pointed to an area three thousand kilometres away from the planets position. "Make a show of yourselves and force the defenders to come to you, meanwhile I'll take the _Guardian _and three Star Destroyers here." He pointed to the planet's North Pole. "If they're sensors are what I think they are they will not be able to notice us jumping in here because of the planet's magnetic field. It should shield us from their sensors until we chose to attack. We will aim to take those Cruisers out of the fight; once they're gone the Frigates won't be able to do much."

"Sound plan," Sor'ai stated thoughtfully. "But will the magnetic fields of the poles be strong enough to shield us from their sensors?"

"It's an M-class planet, so it must be." Halos replied as his eyes scanned the planet once again. "Once the fleet is nullified we'll take out the defences around the _Guardian _and begin rescue operations on the surface. No heavy ground forces, just elite SpecForce and veteran AirGuard Troopers with Gunship and fighter support. According to scans their ground-to-space defences are light, only a handful of guns more suited to anti-fighter than anti-ship."

"There's also the small problem in how accurate the coordinates will have to be to do what you're asking sir." Captain Verge spoke up. "Sure Hyperspace travel can be accurate, but to do what you're asking for has only been done successfully a select few times in history, and most of the time it had been done with the loss of a ship or two. In order to do this right the calculations for the jumps need to be done to perfection with no room for error."

"Then we'll do it with no room for error, have all of our navigators do the coordinates, and only report ready when you are confident they've got it right. Do I have any volunteers to follow me into hell?"

Tills, Captain of the _Nebula-class _Star Destroyer _Sabre of Duros _stepped forward, taking a steady breath before speaking. "I volunteer myself and my ship, sir."

There was a moment of silence before the second Captain stepped forward. It was Captain Jin Shandor of the other _Nebula-class _Star Destroyer in the fleet, the _Sword of Ithor_. "Ah hell," the man scowled, keeping his cigarette clenched between his teeth as he scratched the back of his head. "My people would never forgive me if I backed out of this. I'm in."

More silence before the final volunteer stepped forward. It was Captain Klinti Sontar, commander of the _Imperial _Star Destroyer _Repulse._ There was no way to gauge her emotions from the cloth wrapped around her eyes, being a Miraluka. "I also volunteer myself and my crew for this mission."

Halos smiled as he nodded, "Thank you, all of you."

There was silence for a moment before Gabriel spoke, "It's a little risky Admiral."

"Wars are won and lost on risk, Master Sabbath." Joseph replied before turning back to the holographic forms of his Captains, "Any other questions?"

There were none.

"Then let's get started."

* * *

Alarm claxons were what roused Rear-Admiral Millard Quincy from his bunk, sitting stark upright and jumping out of bed, smoothing out the wrinkles of his uniform as he made his way through the officers corridor towards his ships main bridge. The smell of incense was heavy in the air from the priest's midday prayer, and conscious of the time the officer made the sign of the Aquila across his chest before entering the cavernous bridge.

"What is the situation!" he barked as he made his way to his command chair, nestled in the centre of the command decks circular steelwork, sitting down just as his second-in-command came up to him, saluting sharply before relaying the report.

"Long range auspex reports a flotilla of unidentified craft entering the system, current position two hundred thousand kilometres out and closing fast," the man reported sharply. "So far they have refused to answer hails or transfer the proper identification codes."

"Do we have visuals?"

"Coming up now sir,"

Quincy waited as the huge screen lowered on steel cables, coming to life in a mass of static before clearing to show the visual feed from one of the many outlaying intelligence satellites scattered across the system. There were at least six vessels advancing upon the planet, a kilometre and a half in length each with a visually pleasing wedge shaped appearance, reminding the Rear-Admiral of a Powersword.

It wasn't the numbers that got his attention though. It was the design of these six warships and there was no mistaking it. Those six warships were nearly identical to the vessel his ship had commandeered almost a month ago. The same vessel confined in dry dock while the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus surveyed and scanned her down to her atoms.

One of the vessels appeared to notice their spy-satellite for the last thing the Rear-Admiral saw from the feed was a lance of green light encompassing the screen, then nothing but static. "Now that makes their intentions quite clear, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes sir,"

"By the Emperor this is truly an auspicious day," Quincy smiled lightly. "Not only have we captured one of their ships but now their fleet appear before us on a silver platter. Prepare battle-stations and launch long range bombers. We outnumber them eight to six, let them come to us."

"Aye sir,"

He let his first officer make the orders heard and watched as twenty long range _Fury _Interceptors disgorged from ventral hanger of the Cruiser _Eternal Light_, appearing as a small swarm of tiny lights to his eyes as they lined up and shot towards the advancing enemy vessels who were now just within two hundred thousand kilometres of his position.

Alarm claxons blared across the bridge of his capital-ship when the enemy taskforce was a hundred and seventy thousand kilometres from them, surprising the Rear-Admiral. His apprehension was realised when one of his main officers shouted from across the deck. "Enemy vessels have fired!"

"At such long range," Quincy frowned as he watched the beams of green light descend upon his flotilla, and considered the enemy commander foolish from firing from such long distances. The beams covered the void between the two forces in a matter of seconds and the voice of another of his officers made his blood chill.

"Brace for impact!"

There was an explosion, a small one which sent only a mild tremor through his cruisers superstructure, then another and another. He watched as the _Eternal Light _took a similar number of hits, as did the third cruiser in the formation, the _Imperial Havoc_. Quincy frowned as he looked over at his damage control officer. "Well?"

"Damage is minimal, the shields are holding sir."

One would expect no less from a ship of his Imperial Majesty, but that was not what worried him. It was the fact that these vessels have twice the range of his, even if there were only a handful of long range guns on these vessels the provocations for this were worrying.

"Contact Captain Chechen of the _Eternal Light_," Quincy ordered. "Tell him to take the _Imperial Havoc _and three Frigates to meet these xeno lovers head on."

"Aye sir."

A second barrage from the enemy ships was fired, only this time it was considerably more precise and concentrated on a single target compared to the volley before. This time the beams of light slammed into the void shields of the Frigate _Seoul_ with enough power to break the shields like a bursting bubble. Not surprising considering the long range weapons of all six warships had been brought to bear upon her.

"The _Seoul _reports that her void shields have failed!"

"Keep her here then, send the _Starside _to replace her!"

Quincy watched as Chechens force split from his own, taking two thirds of his fleet with him to engage the enemy. He watched as they closed the distance, harassed by long range weapons fire the whole time. By the time they were within range of their long range weapons the _Starside _had reported that her shields had failed and she was venting atmosphere from several hits. The two other Frigates were doing better, but only just, thankfully the two Cruisers had escaped most of the bombardment and once they were within a hundred thousand kilometres they returned fire.

"Enemy forces are pulling back."

Quincy smirked, "Cowards, moment we get close to them they turn tail and run."

He noticed a bright flash of light, and the Rear-Admiral was aware of a great, light sucking shadow which fell upon his bridge. His eyes snapped up to as high as his screen would allow and visibly widened at what he saw. The massive hull of an unidentified starship blocked out the stars as it hung barely a few kilometres above them and even though he knew it was difficult to tell its size he knew that it was larger than his Cruiser, much larger.

"By the Emperor," he muttered in silent prayer before thousands of guns rained emerald death upon his Cruiser.

The void shields of the _Salvation _held for several long seconds before caving in under the pressure. Millard saw flame encompass the hull of his titanic vessel as beam after beam slammed into and burnt through the heavy armoured layers, destroying his heavy lance batteries before they could swivel around to aim. Then a single beam slammed into the bridge. The last thing the Rear-Admiral would see in this life was his sight being completely overtaken by incandescent emerald flame before all went black.

* * *

Admiral Joseph Halos couldn't contain his grin as he watched the _Gothic _Cruiser begin a slow out of control spin, armoured form smoking from dozens of punctures, fires breaking through to the void before being mercilessly put out by the lack of oxygen, and the command spire nothing more than a burnt out wreck of what it once had been. The command tower was the only similarity between the vessels of the Imperium and the Alliance, and it was also their weak point.

It had worked, their crazy, insane, one in a hundred chance of succeeding plan had actually worked. It had been a close call but it worked. The _Guardian _and her three escorts had successfully performed the jump to high orbit of the planets Pole, barely ten minutes after Rosso and her taskforce had entered the system and fired the first volley. They had made it just inside of the planet's magnetic field, hiding them from Imperial sensors.

The Imperials had done exactly what he expected them to do, split their forces to handle the threat. That made his pincer movement all the more satisfactory in its success and all the more effective in its completion. The enemy was now trapped between the hammer and the anvil, confused and bewildered, ready to be pummelled by his fleet's guns until they either surrendered or were destroyed.

There were a few things to do however.

"Alright, lets finish mopping up here. I want those Frigates taken down before anything else." He ordered sharply, receiving a mass of affirmatives in reply. "Once they're neutralised I want the _Sabre of Duros _and the _Sword of Ithor _to concentrate on the _Independence_, eliminate the defences on that dry dock and launch boarding parties. The _Guardian _will aide Rosso's taskforce in battling the main Imperial threat. Captain Sontar, I want your ship to provide orbital support for the ground forces, eliminate anything that could be used against us planet-side."

"Understood Admiral,"

"Mathews I owe you a case of Corellian brandy for this." He muttered with a hint of a smile. "Launch ground assault forces once the Frigates have been neutralised!"

Everything had been set in motion, but could they complete their mission within the remaining time of four hours fifty minutes?

There was only one way to find out.

* * *

Colonel Maxwell was a light sleeper, considering he was a veteran of several wars across the sector that little fact was not uncommon. One of his officers had joked that a pin drop could have awakened him. The Colonel still remembered the man's surprise fondly when he told him it was the truth.

He had accidentally killed off an attendant or two because they tried to rouse him while he was asleep. His outbursts were usually violent and included the knife he hid under his pillow. A pity considered his last attendant had been a good looking woman with chocolate hair and fiery green eyes who didn't quite look right with a combat knife stuck into her neck.

He didn't need an attendant to awaken him today. The tremors from what were obviously explosions did the job pretty well. He did not panic. He simply opened his eyes and rose from his bed, quickly dressing into his uniform, sheathing his ceremonial powersword and checking his bolt pistol to make sure the magazine was full before exiting his living quarters.

The walk to the central command of his penal colony was a short one, simply leaving his quarters, walking down the thirty meter long hallway and opening the blast-door which separated it from the main control centre. It was chaos the moment he entered. Operators and attendants were either running to their stations or sending messages to someone else.

This had to be serious. He hoped it was an attempt at a prison breakout. If it was the Alliance prisoners it would give him an excuse to execute a few more of them. It was unlikely though, sure he kept his promise to the Captain to not shoot anymore of his people but that didn't mean he had to feed them either.

"Report," he stated in a bored tone.

The security officer he stopped looked a little like he had just gotten out of bed himself, rushing in putting on his uniform. "We're under attack."

That was a surprise, "By whom, pray tell?"

The man raised his hand with trembling fingers. "Them."

He looked up in time to see a small swarm of black objects explode from the cloud cover, between thirty to forty vessels of an unknown design falling upon them like a swarm of angry hornets. This was not what he had expected. Maxwell had expected a mass prison breakout, not an invasion by an unknown force.

"Well this is a problem."

* * *

The mission was simple, enter the stronghold, neutralise all threats, silence gun emplacements, eliminate opposition, take important areas. Find the surviving crew of the _Independence_ and evacuate them. Find any sign of their own technology and either take it back or destroy it, do not allow the Imperium to have even a blaster.

The attack was planned to be perfect and precise, forty LAAT Gunships managed to break the upper atmosphere of the planet known as Topaz V, all full to the brim with specialised AirGuard Troopers of the Galactic Alliance, men and women who were considered the elite of airborne attack.

Each member of this unit was equipped with similar armour to the Old Republic Jump Troopers, except their armour was coloured a dark navy with crimson trim instead of white with blue trim, besides that they were still equipped with jetpacks, as well as heavy blaster rifles and grenade launchers, with blaster pistol sidearms and an array of grenades and mines. In short they were perfect shock troopers.

Gabriel Sabbath sat in a Gunship right beside twenty nine such men, all fully garbed in their armour and equipment, amazed at how they carried all one hundred and fifty pounds of it without so much as blinking. He himself wore nothing more than his robes as a Jedi Master as well as his lightsaber and a blaster pistol assigned to him by the _Guardians _Chief Quartermaster.

He would be the first out followed by the men behind him, yet unlike them he did not carry a jetpack, opting instead for his mastery of the force to bring him down to ground level safely. They would follow him through this to the death, that's what their creed dictated as members of the elite Alliance AirGuard Corps.

He waited with an abundance of patience as the small armada entered the atmosphere, clearing it in a manner of seconds before making an attack run on the penal colonies main base of operations. He could already sense the defences in the form of flak guns and ground-to-air missile launchers being fired upon this main attack force.

The Gunship flanking his left side went up in a ball of flame, taking the two pilots and thirty soldiers along with it. The gunships continued their advance, junking and weaving to avoid the flak and firing off chaff to hinder the ground based anti-air missile fire. It appeared to be working but another five Gunships were blown out of the sky before they reached their target.

The target penal colony was based in the centre of a large valley made up almost entirely of rolling hills with the odd clump of trees scattered about. The valley had great mountains cordoning it off from all sides. The colony itself was a huge medieval castle, huge walls of solid stone rising up at least fifty meters high, even higher guard towers rose up as if to challenge the sky itself. Although an infamous looking fortress it would be considered rather small for a penal colony capable of holding tens of thousands of prisoners, but Gabriel knew better.

The actual colony was located underground in a mass of catacombs and passageways reaching down at least a hundred meters, a perfect underground prison with no chance of escape. That was what the deep core scans showed.

The castle was just a heavily defended entranceway, and it was heavily defended. Lascannon emplacements were positioned on the guard towers, flak cannons and surface-to-air missile launchers were scattered across the valley, light anti-air cannons were distributed along the walls and alongside pill boxes. Gabriel had no qualms in considering the whole valley to be mined as well, making a ground assault difficult and an escape nigh impossible.

The only consolation was that the majority of the defenders were Adeptus Arbites, the Imperials Military Police force, but that was a small consolation. Arbites may not have had the actual frontline experience of the Imperial Guard but they were well armed, well equipped and well trained for combat.

Gabriel was the first to jump from his gunship, seeing the mass of spires and battlements symbolising the prison below him. He allowed his fall to continue until he was within two hundred meters of the ground before performing a forward somersault, bringing himself into the perfect position before bringing his hands to the ground. He released a duo of force pushes, slowing his fall. When that refused to work he fired off another duo, then another, and another until his fall was slowed down enough for him to survive impact.

He hit the ground and rolled to his feet, lightsaber in hand and activated in time to cut a diagonal slash from left shoulder to right hip of an Arbites soldier, then using a force push to throw another two off the edge of the battlement. Free for the moment he looked up to see AirGuard Troopers falling to their fates like navy rain, activating their jetpacks in mid-fall and firing. Flak and tracer rounds still dotted the sky as the fortresses flak guns continued to fire upon both the gunships and their disgorging paratroopers.

A guard tower to his right, firing what looked like a heavy lascannon, went up in a ball of flame as a LAAT soured overhead, discharging a duo of rockets into the battlement before performing a lazy turn.

Gabriel took off at a sprint, aiming his sights on a flak cannon just twenty meters away from him. He ducked a swing from an Arbites powermace before stabbing his lightsaber blade into his armour, using the now dead body as a shield against his teammate behind him. A well timed force push sent the body slamming into his comrade, sending both of them off the battlement and to their death.

AirGuard troopers were now landing, finding cover and engaging clusters of black armoured Adeptus Arbites soldiers. An AirGuard hit the ground, slamming the butt of his blaster rifle into an Arbites face before diving for cover. Others were bolder, landing in the centre of enemy formations and sowing confusion.

Jumping high in the air with a force propelled leap Gabriel came down upon the crew of the flak cannon with precise speed and intent, cutting down the first gunner before he knew he was there, stabbing the second in the chest and finishing off the third by throwing his lightsaber in a spinning arc, removing his head from his shoulders before calling it back with the force. Gabriel rushed up to the long barrel of the gun, fished out a frag grenade, pulled the pin and tossed it in, a small explosion later mangled the barrel, making the cannon useless.

One flak cannon down

* * *

"The surface will fall," Maxwell muttered as he walked down the main corridor of the underground chamber towards his destination. The main passageway was five meters across and five high; cylindrical walls a dull gray, bright gloworbs adorning the ceiling and walls. His second in command kept stride with him with ease. "But we must hold out for as long as possible, place defensive positions on every corner and on every crossroad. Use whatever barriers which can be found. We must hold them until the Inquisition arrives."

The man nodded his head, "What about the remaining prisoners sir?"

"Kill them, send fire teams. These scum will not be reclaiming their spawn today, or any other day."

"At once Colonel,"

"Step to it then."

The man saluted sharply before going on his way, ready to relay the orders. Maxwell continued his march, watching as a unit of Arbites crammed sandbags into a barrier on a crossroad, setting up a mobile lascannon for use against the enemy forces which were undoubtedly coming.

He continued walking down the descending passage, opening the main blast-door at the end with a simple swipe of his high clearance keycard. Inside the new chamber was a mass of weapon cases, lasguns and pistols adorned the walls in lines, most of which were empty now that the defenders of the penal colony were arming themselves for war. Cases holding Powerswords, staves and maces were also in attendance, also mostly empty thanks to the sudden mobilisation.

Finally the Colonel reached his destination, a simple case of stainless steel, the length of a fully grown man with the Imperial double headed eagle beautifully engraved on the lid. He removed an ancient key, inserted it in the lock and turned it three hundred and sixty degrees anticlockwise. There was a snap as locking bars fell away and a hiss of steam as the case opened, revealing its contents.

The interior was covered with red silk, displaying prominently the weapons of his family, weapons which by ritual would never see the light of day until war was on the owner's doorstep. He hadn't opened this case since his transfer to this colony some twelve years before and it showed in the shining perfection of the weapons.

He effortlessly picked up the powersword, a beautiful creation designed after a katana, patented weapon of an ancient warrior culture of ancient Terra, the Samurai if he remembered. Encased in a beautiful black scabbard, the guard was a simple oval of liquid silver and the hilt was covered in well made black cloth. The symbol of his family was embroidered on the scabbard, a skull with two swords crossed behind it.

Clipping the ancient blade to his utility belt the Colonel then picked up an ancient bolt pistol, beautifully crafted and powerful, its entire form was made of liquid silver, the insignia for the Imperial double headed eagle crafted on the right side of the barrel while the sword crossed skull of his own family was crafted with equal artistry on the left. Its three magazines holding nine rounds of hallowed ammunition each, silver blessed by a priest, capable of killing warp daemons as well as mortals.

He slammed a new clip into the pistol and chambered a round before holstering it, taking the three spare clips and nestling them into his specially made flak jackets satchels. He was never a man who would lead from several miles away from the fighting. He would forever be a man who led his men from the front. Maxwell had done so against the Orks and he would do so now, against these xeno lovers and heretics.

The Colonels last act was the grab the long black trenchcoat within, folded and perfect. He unfolded the ancient article of clothing and draped it around his shoulders, revelling in the feeling of wearing his family's signature clothing for the first time in over a decade. He closed the case, hearing the bars slide back into place before spinning on his heel and stalking out of the armoury.

He would fight this battle, as the thirty ninth head of the Maxwell family and he would die on the field of battle with his head held high if that was what the Emperor willed it. That was his duty as a soldier of the Imperium of Man.

He stalked up the corridor with an undeniable purpose, a soldier walking towards battle. He continued his march, well aware that fully armed Arbites were falling into step behind him, fully dressed in black armour and carrying their lasguns, maces and other powerweapons attached to their belts. By the time he reached the entrance, closed off by a five inch thick blast door which was even now being cut through. A wall of sandbags had been erected and Maxwell watched as his men lined them, aiming long barrelled ceremonial rifles at the sparking door.

"You are Adeptus Arbites of the glorious Imperium of Man," he roared, drawing his powersword, looking reverently at the high gothic engraved on the flats of the blade. On the left it stated 'Death and Glory' and on the right it said 'For Emperor Eternal'. "Whatever comes from that door you will stand your ground!"

The men's roar of approval was muted by a sudden explosion, sending the reinforced blast door flying back and slamming into the sandbag wall ten meters behind, killing one man and tearing the limb of another.

Weapons fire followed. A hail of crimson blaster bolts and azure ion beams that left black scorch marks on the tan sandbags. A man was hit in the face, falling back and dropping his lasgun. Maxwell was the first to recover, growling at the navy carapace armoured soldiers before aiming his bolt pistol and pulling the trigger, dropping a man with a well aimed shot through the chest that left nothing but a gaping hole.

His men recovered quickly and returned fire upon this enemy, crimson bolts of blasters and lasguns flowed across the space, scorching sandbags and walls pitch black. Then the grenades came from the opening, some didn't make it to the wall, other hit against it and still others went over into his men's ranks.

In such an enclosed space grenades could do catastrophic damage. The walls were reinforced enough to resist the shockwaves, but his men weren't as sturdy. The mass of explosions killed half of his men and ripped open the defence. Maxwell had been blown clear, looking up with tunnelled vision and an intense ringing in his ears.

His men were already retreating, and forcing himself to his feet, using his sword for leverage the Colonel fired off a few rounds in the general direction of his foe before copying his men's action, watching as crimson bolts soared past him.

* * *

The _Guardian _continued firing at will upon the now surrounded Imperial flotilla, her hundreds of heavy guns pouring incandescent death upon the fairly large capital-ships of the Imperial navy. Already one of the Cruisers was aflame in several areas, void shielding failing long ago and armour being systematically chewed away.

The two Frigates of their rear guard were now nothing more than dead corpses of steel in space, smoking from fires which had been forced out. This had not come at a price as shown in the _Sabre of Duros, _her shielding failed and her armoured hull atomised down to its final layer in several places. Another strike would have compromised her integrity.

The _Repulse _had been successful in neutralising the gun emplacements on the dry dock containing her sister ship, yet her shielding had taken a battering from the exchange. It didn't matter much now, as a small swarm of gunships descended upon the hanger bays of the _Independence _with a vengeance.

Rosso's taskforce was having trouble, exchanging fire beyond the enemies range was all well and good but once they got within range that changed radically. The _Dauntless _had reported that she had taken several serious hits. Her decks open to space courtesy of the _Imperial Havoc_. The _Vigilance _was shielding her even now, having taken few hits since the start of the battle.

"We need to take those Cruisers out _now_!" Halos roared. "Forget the escorts, concentrate fire on their cruisers!"

His crew did as ordered, relaying commands to the gunners who switched from their original targets to the bigger Cruisers. Halos took the chance to watch the smaller battles taking place across the board. Their own starfighter squadrons seemed to be keeping the Imperial Furies at bay, if only just.

"Sir, the _Dauntless_!"

Halos was immediately alert again, watching as images appeared of the harried Star Destroyer, shielding gone and once white armoured hull in ruins. One of the shield generators on the command tower had been blown off. Black scars dotted her frame from successful missile hits as well as the odd lance blast which left gaping holes.

Captain Verge's voice echoed through the security foyer, even as the Admiral saw life pods being ejected. _"Mayday, mayday, this is the _Dauntless _to Alliance command, looks like we're gone sir."_

"Then evacuate the ship Captain, do it now!"

"_Begging your pardon sir but I prefer to go down with my ship,"_ Verge replied, and Halos knew the old man was grinning. He had probably ordered his crew to evacuate some time ago. _"It was a hell of a ride sir. I hope the rest of you get home!"_

A beam of lance fire slammed into the command tower then, and Halos knew the old Captain was dead as it exploded in a mass of flame and smoke. The corpse of the _Dauntless _began an out of control spin, halted when another beam impacted against its now naked hyperdrive core, the resulting explosion atomised the _Dauntless_, first casualty of the fleet.

It would not be the last.

The Admiral was certain of that.

He could still avenge her though.

"Blow those bastards out of the sky," Halos growled like a feral animal. "I want to see nothing less than their gutted corpses!"

"Admiral!"

Halos turned a murderous gaze upon the unlucky messenger, making the man flinch before he regained his nerve and relayed the information. "First reports are coming through from SpecForce infiltration teams."

"Put him through then," Halos replied, waiting as the static cleared in the foyer and the gruff voice of one of the squadron leaders came through.

"_Is this the Admiral?"_

"It is," Halos replied.

"_We found a batch of the crew sir," _the man said, tone grim.

"Are they alright," he asked, feeling somewhere in his being that it was a stupid question.

"_No,"_ the officer replied solemnly. _"They're not."_

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story._

_**Author's Note 2: **__I really shouldn't be updating this. I have an exam tomorrow at 2pm god damn it. But I feel like I have done a good piece of revision beforehand, and the time of the exam means I can read through my notes for a while if I get up early enough. Wish me luck guys, I believe I'll need it._

_**Author's Alert 3: **__I only guessed that those who guarded penal colonies would be Adeptus Arbites, military police and all, if I made a mistake I apologise, tell me if I did and I will try and make the changes to the chapter._

_**Author's Note 4: **__Thank you everyone who reviewed on the last chapter with their support and opinion, it means a lot. And to those who still come up with lame or overused excuses well it's a story, there is a plot which I am sticking too, so get over it._


	22. There is no Victory

_**Chapter 21**_

_**There is no Victory**_

The bodies had been piled on top of each other, young and old, men and women. Their skins were pallor, faces contorted in the expressions the victims wore when they met their end, a mass of limp limbs and anguished expressions. A small cloud of flies flittered around the small mountain of corpses, already feasting on the mass of cold flesh.

There had to be more than a thousand bodies here.

Major Alicia Fairbrook had seen many atrocities during the five years of the Yuuzhan Vong war, and she had seen her own small mountains of corpses during the long struggle. Yet it always got to her when she saw such mindless slaughter. None of the victims were armed, most were clothed only in dirty rags, and by what she saw of the near naked bodies the victims had been slowly dying of dehydration and starvation, skin pulled taught by their own bones.

She heard gasping and knew one of the more inexperienced SpecForce officers behind her was fumbling with his helm, pulling it off and throwing it to the side as he leaned against the doorframe, disgorging a mass of bile and half digested food onto the floor. She didn't blame him. The smell of decay was already rife in the air. These people had been dead for some time.

She grit her teeth, armoured glaive grinding as she clenched her fist.

What was this?

What was the reasoning behind it?

What was the point?

No point, Alicia realised, there was no point behind this. This was just mindless slaughter, no it wasn't even mindless, it was bestial, barbaric and completely and utterly against all of the rules of war that she knew off.

With a thought she brought up the direct line she had with the commander in chief. He needed to see this. He needed to know what they had done. "This is Major Alicia Fairbrook of SpecForce Bravo unit, I need a direct line to the Admiral effective immediately, code 1-2-7-Bravo-Foxtrot-Ackbar."

"_Code confirmed," _the operator on the other end intoned.

Alicia waited for a long moment before there was a beep on the other end of the line. "Is this the Admiral?"

"_It is," _was the man's steady reply.

"We found a batch of the crew sir."

"_Are they alright?"_

She wanted to scoff at the thought, but kept her tongue. "No, they're not. I'm sending the live feed through to you know sir."

There was silence for a long moment as the images were sent from her helmet-cam to the main computers of the _Guardian_, but she definitely heard the man swear on the other end. _"Sith me."_

Not even the Sith were capable of this, not even the Empire were capable of this, and that knowledge made Alicia sick to her stomach, that she was even remotely related as a species to those who had done this.

She couldn't help but make sure. "Is there anyone alive in here! Can anyone hear me!"

No answer.

* * *

Halos ground his teeth together as he witnessed the images, everyone in the security foyer stopped what they were doing, looking upon the gruesome sight with a mixture of emotions ranging from bewilderment, to revulsion to complete and utter shock. An Imperial Frigate went up in a bright flash in the distance and no one took notice.

Someone was dry retching in the background, but other than that the atmosphere within the foyer was one of silent shock, then anger. Halos demeanor changed in the span of a few moments, from wide eyed shock and disbelief to anger to a narrowed dull gaze. "I see, so that's how they wish to play, Captain Flore."

"Sir!"

"Send the word to all commands currently engaged in combat, no quarter is to be given." The Admiral said the words with the finite of authority. "If they refuse to grant us the basic rights as prisoners by the rules of warfare then I see no reason to do the same."

She looked a little unnerved by the order, but after a moment of indecision saluted and went to the task. Halos knew the dark eyes upon him, and turned to see Gabriel's twin looking at him with an unnerved gaze. "It's a dark path you are about to take Admiral."

"Indeed it is," Halos replied, once again looking at the images on the screen. "But after seeing this do you truly believe we should give them any quarter, any chance to kill anyone else?"

There was no answer for a long moment. "Whatever I say at the moment will sound hollow and useless in the face of this crime. I just hope this doesn't become a habit."

"As do I," was the man's reply, even as a swarm of fighters and bombers escaped from the _Guardian's _main hanger bays with the single purpose of eradicating the enemy fleet.

* * *

The force was calling to him, guiding him.

Gabriel did not resist its call, but followed it through the deep underground catacombs of the penal colony, moving with quickness that would be considered a blur to any untrained eye he soared from corridor to corridor, dealing with anyone who got in his path with a simple slash of his lightsaber blade.

He rounded a corner, ducked a powermace and activated his weapon just as the Arbites trooper overextended his swing. The azure blade stabbed through armour, skin and bone, exiting from the man's back. The Jedi used the corpse as a shield, hearing the dull thuds of weapons fire impacting against the dead soldiers back, and with a sudden force push the cadaver flew, slamming into the two troopers behind him and sending them sprawling.

Gabriel moved with quickness and precision born of years of training and experience, azure blade moving fluently and elegantly as he dispatched the fallen soldiers in midstride before continuing on his way, the whole skirmish had lasted no more than five short seconds.

He ran and turned the next corner, finding himself in a longer corridor that stretched a fair way. Still he ran, noticing movement ahead, yet he knew that those ahead weren't Imperials, and he felt the familiar presence even as he called the leaders name. He was closing in on his objective, but the forces call was getting stronger.

"Major Falkirk, with me." He shouted as he passed them, turning another corner to rush down the path the SpecForce troopers were about to take.

"Sir," was the Major's response before barking out orders for his men to keep up.

Gabriel kept running until he came to a blast-door, guarded by two Arbites who appeared to be armed with some kind of projectile weaponry. He moved in a blur, taking off the head of the first before thrusting his lightsaber into the second's stomach just as he spun around.

The forces call became eerily silent, noticing that it was locked he did not hesitate. First he shut off and holstered his lightsaber. Then he raised his hands to the door, calling upon the force to break the locks and force it open. The door trembled for a long moment before there was a quartet of snaps and the doors were forced open with a squeal of hydraulics and a shower of sparks.

He rushed through, lightsaber ignited and ready for battle. The first thing he noticed was cluster of men and women, three to six hundred in number bearing the insignias of the GFFA on their tattered uniforms. He spied human, Twi'lek, Zeltron, a few Zabrak, even fewer Arkanians and a few others. They were all huddled in a corner of the large space, surrounded by a squadrons worth of Adeptus Arbites, lasguns and projectile weapons Gabriel remembered as Stubbers held at the ready, a heavy variant was being unveiled by a two man team.

The Jedi Master flew into the room with speed and precision, using lightning quickness to deflect lasbeams into the surrounding armoured walls, machine gun fire was trickier, harder to deflect and prone to ricocheted off his blade. So instead he opted to propel his movements by centring himself in the force, rushing forward as a blue of motion right towards the Heavy Stubber emplacement.

He took the first man's head off, ducked a desperate swing from the second and returned the favour with a kick to the face. The Jedi Master heard the snap of a shattered nose as he sidestepped the lasfire from the third man, who was able to draw his sidearm, a revolver, and fire off a round. The lightsaber quickly took off the hand, sending it and the gun flying.

Blaster fire joined the fray as the SpecForce troopers finally caught up, managing to take out half of the kill squad as they were attempting to target the General. Gabriel used the confusion, as did the few hundred prisoners in the hold. They rushed forward en mass, a swarm of starving, tired and beaten prisoners with a single goal in mind. The Arbites were able to kill a dozen of them before they were tackled to the ground, weapons forced from their grasp and used against them.

Gabriel flinched, but only just, even a Jedi could see that it would have been pointless to try and stop these people from lashing out at their captors. It was all over in the blink of an eye, and the Jedi stepped towards the mass of prisoners, deactivating his lightsaber before taking a deep breath. "Who's your superior officer!"

It wasn't long before someone came forward, a human wearing the tattered uniform of an Lieutenant Commander, carrying a Stubber in his hand as he saluted. The man looked just like the rest of them, skin and bones and tattered clothes, yet he still had a fire in his eyes. "I am sir."

"Get your people in order Lieutenant," Gabriel said simply. "We're getting you all out of here. Major, contact the _Guardian _and let the Admiral know the good news."

"Yes sir."

He turned back to the Lieutenant Commander, "Pick a dozen of your most able bodied men and arm them and get a few people to pick up that Heavy Stubber, could be useful."

"Yes sir." The man saluted with a smirk, obviously wanting nothing more than to take the fight to the enemy. Within a minute he had assembled twelve men and women, each wearing the remains of the uniforms of either an Alliance Marine or Trooper, armed with the lasguns, stubbers and the Heavy Stubber of their former captors.

Satisfied Gabriel tapped his earpiece, giving him a direct link to _Guardian _control. "_Guardian _control this is Gabriel Sabbath, General, identification code 7 – 8 – 3 - King - Maverick – Hoth."

"_Go ahead General."_

"I have a few hundred survivors down here, between four and six hundred, some hurt. Position is on the seventh floor, awaiting intel on safe passage over?"

"_Roger that General. Floors Seven through Nine are heavily contested, no movement of freed prisoners is authorised at this time."_

"Sith," Gabriel cursed lightly. "Well we're going to have to push them further back. Major pick four men to remain with these people, you and the rest are with me. The very moment we give the clear take them to the surface for pickup. Do you hear that _Guardian _control?"

"_Loud and clear, General. We'll be waiting for them."_

* * *

The Imperial Cruiser _Imperial Havoc _listed severely to her stern, entire portside a smoking wreck of destroyed weapon batteries and huge gashes straight through the armoured hull, masses of bodies and equipment gushing out of the exposed decks.

The _Guardian _fired her third full salvo upon the capital-ship, this time with more devastating results, beams vaporising hull plating and eating through to the decks beneath, opening up more of the vessel to space. A beam struck the exposed engine nacelles to the rear, resulting in a huge catastrophic explosion which decimated the capital-ships engines and sent her into a slow, continuous spin. The _Imperial Havoc, _now crippled and venting atmosphere, made a slow descent into the abyss, life pods exploding from her hull en-mass.

"Switch targeting to the last Cruiser!" Halos ordered sharply. "How's Rosso's force holding up?"

"The _Vigilance _reports forward shielding is down to fifty percent with quite a few direct missile strikes. Deck ten and twelve are open to space but were closed down quickly, casualties reported as light. _Daybreak _and _Resolute _report minor damage from missile strikes and a third of their shielding gone. _Interceptor _and _Liberty _report minor damage but nothing to hamper them." Halos nodded to the report, watching as the last Frigate of the Imperial flotilla exploded in a flash of light thanks to direct hits from at least three Star Destroyers.

"I'll give it to the bastard on that Cruiser," Joseph admitted. "He's not backing down. What's the latest from the _Independence _boarding teams?"

"Hanger bays are under their control, but resistance has stepped up since. Looks like a good number of Inquisition troops and... some organisation called the Adeptus Mechanicus." His operator replied. "They aren't giving her up easily sir, reports of fighting on all decks with men fighting to the last. Major Brine has reported that they were attempting to cripple her hyperdrive engines but were stopped."

Halos growled at the news as he looked at his chronowatch, whose timers were slowly ticking down with the rough estimate of the Inquisition fleets arrival. They only had an hour and a half left at the least, two at the very most, and even then that was pushing it. "Tell them to continue fighting for another hour. If they can't take her vital areas then give order to evacuate."

"Are we going to destroy her sir?"

"We may have to," Joseph replied with a dark growl. "I would rather see her burning in the atmosphere in pieces than in the hands of those bastards. Order the entire fleet to concentrate all fire upon that last Cruiser, don't let up until she's a smoking wreck!"

"Yes sir."

"Report from General Sabbath sir," one of his communication operators shouted. "He's found survivor's sir, between four and six hundred."

Cheers arose from the security foyer, but they were short lived. "Finally some bloody good news. Where are they?"

"Level seven, sir."

"That level is heavily contested." Joseph muttered as he brought up readouts of the underground of the prison, taken from deep core scans. His men on the ground had taken the first six levels of the facility, but seven through nine were heavily contested, blinking from orange to red to orange again. "We won't be able to move them until enemy forces have been driven from the level."

"AirGuard Colonel Domin reports that they'll have the enemy pushed back to the tenth level within the next half hour."

"He better live up to it," Joseph frowned. "Remind him of our time constrictions."

"Yes Admiral."

Joseph frowned, waving Gabriel's younger twin over from her place overseeing the communiqué section of the foyer. "Once the Inquisition reaches us how long do you think it will take them to get within combat range?"

"If they play it safe we'll have another hour." She replied, remembering the reports on Imperial faster-than-light travel.

"And if they don't?"

"Half an hour," she replied. "And I doubt the fleet can defend this planet from the estimated force. We'd be outnumbered by at least four to one, maybe five. If we're lucky we'll be able to destroy a few of them before they eradicate us."

"Thank you for your optimism." Joseph said dryly.

"Do you want me to tell you we could kill them all?"

"It would help."

"I swear you're just like my brother sometimes."

* * *

He brought his B-wing into a steep barrel roll, lining up his Assault Starfighters Gyrhil 72 twin auto-blasters to bear on the rear of a _Fury _Interceptor, its huge frame making for an appeasing target. Commander Joe Cloth looked down the holo-sights before pulling the trigger, sending duel shards of crimson fire into the rear of the larger machine, pieces of machinery and armour broke off its frame as the heavy blaster beams bit into the ancient fighter.

Return fire came from the rear Heavy Bolter cannons right behind the larger vessels tailfin, releasing a torrent of tracer fire capable of ripping his smaller craft to pieces. Cloth dipped his B-wing down twenty degrees, missing the stream of tracer rounds before setting his sights on the Interceptor once again. This time his return fire was a five second burst instead of the previous two.

By the end of the volley the starboard wing and rear tailfin had been sheared off, and the rear gunner of the Interceptor was hit by the strike, the weapon immediately going silent. The old fighter went into an out of control spin, trailing acrid smoke as it vanished into the void.

Interceptors were difficult monsters to bring down. There was no doubt in that now. The fighters may look unnecessarily large, clumsy and slow but that was just a smokescreen from the real truth that many a fighter pilot forgot about in the hectic exchange of gunfire. While _Fury _Interceptors were big and slow they were also heavily armed and had a mass of guns positioned at key area including two bolter cannons on the sides, one double barrelled variant at the rear, another on the ventral and dorsal sections of the craft. Each wing held a missile launcher capable of firing four missiles and under its canopy was a trio of bolter cannons able of ripping through any Starfighter pilot dumb enough to get into its line of sight.

When dealing with a _Fury _the strategy was simple yet finite. Use your fighters greater mobility, speed and manoeuvrability, hit the enemy hard and fast then vanish as fast as you came. If the Interceptor wasn't destroyed then wait a moment, turn around, make sure you're not in range of those deadly triple barrels under the cockpit and repeat the process all over again.

It seemed like a simple manoeuvre, go in fast, hit them hard and leave as quickly as you came, yet Cloth knew more than one Alliance pilot who lost his or her life by trying to be flashy and inventive, which usually meant bringing themselves across those deadly triple cannons on the front, or not being evasive enough when attacking.

He saw one just now, an A-wing who was blown apart by the triple cannons, triple spews of tracer fire ripping right through the cockpit of the diminutive fighter, mincing the pilot within in a shower of gore and bone fragments that clung to the cockpits duraglass.

With a growl Cloth let the fighter go, knowing that they had wasted too much time playing tag with these slow fortresses, they were the fighter squadron's problem, the Interceptors and fighters were supposed to deal with these things while the heavy fighters and bombers broke through to deal with that Cruiser.

With a quick call he had his squadron in formation again, and they barrelled through the skirmish towards the massive form of the last real threat to the fleet. The Cruiser was a terrifying sight, several kilometres in length, anti-fighter flak fire and tracer rounds lighting up the eternal darkness of space as her point defence guns kicked into overdrive, releasing torrents of explosive blooms and thousands of bright tracer rounds, creating a killing field around it no amateur should attempt to brave.

Then again, the _Black Sparrows _of the _Dauntless _were not your run of the mill B-wing squadron. They were some of the best in a sector, with boiling blood and a wish to avenge their fallen mother-ship against the Imperials. Cloth and his comrades were more than determined to land the killing blow, they had become enamoured by it, fanatically devoted to the cause of obliterating this Cruiser, for their friends who were either awaiting rescue out there in the eternal void or already dead and gone down with the ship.

"_Sparrow _Leader to _Sparrow _flight," he called through the squadron frequency. "Aim for the rear of the Cruiser, engine nacelles and bridge tower are our primary targets, let the others worry about the guns!"

He gained a mass of clicks in response and looking down upon the Cruiser he brought his Assault fighter in a barrel roll and brought her into a steep dive right for the bridge tower, knowing that his comrades in arms were copying his motion, proton torpedoes were armed and waiting to be fired as they rushed the deadly flak and rail-gun point defence fire.

His wingman to his left, who held the number of three, vanished from his sight, becoming a blossom of flame and debris from a direct flak hit. Flares and chaff was deployed en-mass when the warning alarms of missile lock-on blared through their cockpits main sensors. Another B-wing was lost in that sudden strike, flares and chaff released a moment too late.

Then they were passed the flak, past the missiles with nothing more than tracer rounds of dozens of rail-guns positioned around the tower, spewing streams of tracer rounds, thousands of rounds right at them, but there too many of them to take out. Cloth grinned as he gained a lock-on for his proton torpedoes, right on the roof of the bridge tower.

"This is for the _Dauntless_," he whispered as he hit the switch for not one of his torpedoes, but his entire payload of eight.

Another B-wing went up in a blossom of flame as the survivors launched their full payloads of proton torpedoes upon the bridge tower before pulling up and away, locking their S-foils for speed over combat as they braved the intensified point defence fire. A dozen torpedoes were intercepted before the remaining dozen hit their target. The result was a mass of flashes and when it cleared the bridge tower was nothing more than a smoking wreck, each level after the neck stripped away by the mass of ship killing torpedoes.

Cloth looked back just as the last Imperial ship still fighting began a slow out of control spin, a grin slowly morphing his face as he watched the vessel in its death throes, most of its crew not even realising it yet that their ships head had been cut off.

"That was for you Captain," he roared into his mic, knowing the man who should hear it was not there anymore. "That was for all of you!"

* * *

Maxwell rolled over the sandbag wall, landing hard on the other side and leaning against the wall. To his right was a Heavy Stubber, barking away as its two man team fired bursts of machinegun fire down the corridor, shredding a duo of Alliance soldiers and forcing the rest to take cover around corners and in service shafts.

The Colonel ground his teeth in agitation as he removed the clip from his empty weapon, letting it hit the floor with a dull clunk before slamming a fresh one in to replace it. A stray bolt slammed into the shoulder of one of the men manning the stubber, sending him falling back and crying out in pain for his burnt arm. The other looked over at his compatriot in shock before returning to firing down the corridor.

"Damn it," the Colonel growled as he leaned over and fired three rounds down the corridor. "There's just too many of them."

Four more men rushed up to the frontline, two armed with simple lasguns while the third and fourth were attempting to setup a second machinegun, this one taking the form of an old fifty calibre M-2 Browning. The Colonel managed a grin as he fired off another round, adding a second heavy stubber emplacement would make attacking the main corridor suicide for anyone barring a mid-level Battle Psyker.

The machinegun beside him fired off another five round burst before clicking empty, the single remaining crewman panicked for a moment before beginning to replace the empty ammunition belt with a fresh one. It was then that the Colonel noticed a single figure walking down the corridor, echoing boots resounding through the corridor.

He was a tall man, dressed in a long baggy brown cloak, heavy looking hood over his head obscuring his features, under the robes was a plain cream coloured shirt and trousers with knee high black leather boots and a black utility belt. Maxwell watched the man approach with a quiet trepidation, feeling a hidden power descend upon him.

Maxwell's trance came to an abrupt halt as the ammunition belt in the second machinegun emplacement was slammed into place and the first fifty calibre round chambered. At the exact same time the stranger's advance advanced from a walk to a trot, then a jog and as the first burst of rounds was fired he had sped up to a full blown run.

He moved with almost superhuman speed and quickness, blurring right and left every time a burst of machinegun fire was aimed at him. He was almost upon him when a blade of azure light sprang to life with a _snap-hiss _from the man's hand. The blade sliced across them in a sweeping arc, forcing Maxwell to duck, two of his men weren't nearly as lucky and had their heads severed, leaving the newly setup machinegun unmanned.

The other was fumbling for his service pistol, but he wasn't fast enough and the blade was plunged into his chest, disintegrating his heart. Once again their attacker was a blur of motion, cutting the barrel of the fourth's lasgun before ending him with a diagonal slash from left shoulder to right thigh. The fifth managed to fire off a trio of shots, but they were deflected back with a blur of the plasma blade. The man fell to the ground, a bolt in his chest.

The swiftness of the figures movements made his hood billow, removing it from his head to rest on his shoulders. Looking at their attackers face Maxwell felt an insatiable hatred twist his stomach. The man who killed so many of his men wasn't some alien scum. He was a human, a human killing his fellow man for the sake of xeno scum.

"Traitor," he growled as he fired a shot from his bolt pistol. The man brought his blade up almost instinctively, deflecting the lethal shot. But the armour piercing round of the pistol was different from a laser blast and the bullet fragmented on impact. The mad Colonel smirked when he saw a fragment carve a deep cut into his cheek.

He grabbed a frag grenade from one of his satchels, pulled the pin and threw it at this traitorous human. He turned and fled, rolling over the sandbag wall and taking cover on the other side as the grenade went off, destroying everything within the defensive position.

Maxwell's smirk of triumph vanished when he looked over the wall and saw that the human traitor was still standing, weapon dropped to the ground and hands outstretched. The palms were burnt from the blaze, yet the man was completely unharmed. He made a flick of his wrist and a few sandbags rose from their positions, sent flying towards the speechless Colonel. Maxwell was able to dodge the first and second sandbags but the third slammed into him, sending the Colonel sprawling to the ground.

Maxwell growled in an attempt to dispel the pain in his chest before forcing himself to his feet, grasping for his pistol and powersword before retreating down the corridor just as the first wave of Alliance troopers rounded the corridor. A round from his pistol slammed into the lead trooper's chest, sending him falling into his comrades. Maxwell then turned his gun to the Psyker, firing off two rounds to keep him occupied as he rounded the corner.

Gabriel glared after the vanished back of the Colonel before half sitting, half collapsing on the sandbag wall, the pain of his burnt hands finally showing. One of the AirGuard troopers was by his side, the red cross of a medic etched into her shoulder plates. "Are you alright sir?"

Gabriel managed a weak smile, but it didn't seem to placate her for a moment.

* * *

"Ground forces report that levels seven through nine have been secured,"

"About damn time," Halos growled as he looked over the burning wreck of the Imperial cruiser which was once the _Eternal Light_, finally destroyed and allowing Rosso's surviving taskforce of five Star Destroyers rejoin the fleet, forming up into a simple defensive line and awaiting the arrival of their foe. "What's the report on casualties?"

"A hundred and sixty reported dead, mostly from the initial stages, forty injured. We lost six gunships and three starfighters in the aerial assault. The majority of the _Dauntless' _crew was able to evacuate before her destruction, but a confirmed three thousand are confirmed as dead including the majority of the ships senior staff." One of his comm. Officers reported. "Out of the crew of the _Independence _areported two thousand are confirmed as alive, twenty five thousand have been confirmed as dead, and another five thousand reported as missing or unfound."

"And there are not enough life signs below level ten to make up for the five thousand missing, meaning they're probably mostly dead as well." Halos' eyes shone like wildfire at the words. "I want those two thousand survivors loaded into transports and evacuated to us, have every medical specialist and assistant on standby on the main hanger bays. What's the status on the ground?"

"All gun emplacements have been silenced or taken by our forces. It should be safe to launch the star cruisers."

The Admiral nodded his head, "Very well, launch the star cruisers immediately. We only have an hour before reinforcements arrive. Is there any word from the _Independence_?"

"Colonel Briggs reports that the resistance is too heavy. They won't be able to clear out the vital areas before the enemy reinforcements arrive."

* * *

"Order them to stand down, Captain."

Wingates was unmoved as he stared down the barrel of the Colonels bolt pistol, instead the old man's eyes had far more fire than Colonel Maxwell could care to remember them having. "No."

"Pardon?"

"I said no," the old man growled, completely uncaring of the gun aimed at his face. "Do you believe my life is worth the several hundred thousand on that fleet? And even so do you honestly think I would put those people's lives in your hands after what you did to my crew? I say fuck you Colonel."

"That fire in your eyes." Maxwell growled as he glared heatedly right into the older Captain's gaze. "I don't like it."

"I honestly couldn't care less," Wingates grinned grimly at the mad Colonel. "I should never have surrendered to you. I should have fought instead. We might not have made it but it would have been a better, more dignified end to the _Independence _and her crew than this hell."

"Damn you old man," he snarled. "I suppose that means your usefulness is at an end. May the Emperor have mercy on your soul."

"Emperor," Wingates laughed bitterly. "There will be no Emperor waiting for me Colonel, but don't worry. I'll send you a postcard from hell and be there to greet you when you're sorry ass arrives!"

The gunshot reverberated through the small dark chamber and the Captain's body slammed against the floor. His head nothing more than a mess of broken bone and cartilage, unrecognisable from the human head it once was. Maxwell gave the corpse one last baneful look before spinning on his heel and stalked from the room, four Arbites bodyguards flanked him. Two were armed with shotguns while another two were armed with plasma guns.

"The Colony is lost." He growled as he walked. He didn't like to lose, least of all to a bunch of xeno lovers. "Issue an emergency withdrawal of all surviving troopers to the lower levels and hold out until the Inquisitor arrives."

"Yes sir."

"And all surviving officers report to the emergency hanger bay," he continued. "We need to evacuate the senior staff."

"Yes sir."

Even in this lowest level he could hear the sounds of gunfire and the explosions of combat several levels above. His men were still fighting valiantly against the allies. Truly they were some of the finest of the Adeptus Arbites. For them to be able to hold off frontline soldiers as well as they had spoke volumes for their determination and will.

Finally he reached the entrance to the underground hanger bay, a large set of blast-doors made of dull steel, a keypad embedded in the right wall beside it. Maxwell inputted a six digit code into the keypad and hit the enter rune. The blast-doors opened with a squeal of servomotors, revealing the dark recesses of the penal colonies hanger bay.

It was a cavernous chamber, large enough for a squadron of _Fury _Interceptors and a few hundred meters long prison transports to settle. The hanger was empty save for a single prison transport landed in the very centre. At the other end of the chamber was another blast-door, this one easily big enough for a midlevel transport to comfortably fly through. A long tunnel of pitch blackness lay beyond the armoured doors, rising up in a ten degree arc towards the planet's surface.

"How many of them did we extract," he asked as they walked into the dark chamber.

"Five thousand sir," one of his bodyguards replied.

"Excellent, we may lose the ship but we'll still have a few surviving members of the crew."

"Yes sir."

"Oh, are they in there?"

His men immediately spun around to the source of the new voice, shotguns and plasma guns aimed and ready as the stranger stepped into the light, the sounds of his footsteps reverberating through the chamber.

He was a tall and lanky man, dressed in a longcoat of dark red, a wide rimmed hat settled on a head of raven black hair and a pair of amber coloured sunglasses hiding his eyes from view. As he approached he brought his hands together in a steady rhythmic clap, showing white gloves with the symbol of the Ordo Xenos etched on onto the back of the left and the symbol of the Aquila on the right.

"Who are you?"

The man grinned, showing white teeth and slightly oversized canines, and stopped his steady clap, bowing his head theatrically as he spoke. "My name is of no importance, but the name of my master is. By order of William Silvermane, Lord Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos I lay claim to the prisoners aboard that vessel. He doesn't want any further harm to come to them as they may prove useful in future events."

Running footsteps caught his attention and the Colonel's eyes widened at what he saw. Inquisition Storm Troopers, a full platoon of at least eighteen heavily armoured men levelling hellguns upon his small contingent of bodyguards. Elites of the Inquisition, if one did not include the hallowed Battle-Sisters of the Adeptus Sororitas or the specially chosen Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes.

"I swear," the man in red said as he spread his hands. "I told the old man I could handle this alone, but he had to send his elite bodyguard with me. It was so difficult to smuggle them in without anyone noticing."

"_You_." The Colonel snarled in anger. "Do you think you can get away with this!"

"Yes, we can," The man in red replied, hand retrieving a long barrelled bolt pistol from the inside of his longcoat. "We will get away with it because you're not leaving this place alive. The Alliance is coming for you in the form of one of their Psykers, and I doubt they'll be in a very forgiving mood."

"You think I would allow that filth to take me alive," Maxwell snarled as he levelled his bolt pistol at the man's chest, barely noticing him copy the motion with fluent grace. "And you, you are a traitor to the Emperor, die scum!"

"How narrow minded of you."

A gunshot reverberated through the air.

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story._

_**Author's Note 2: **__Exams are over, coursework is finished, all I have to do now is a presentation at the end of the month and that's me finished. I'm still feeling the after effects of the night out I had with me class, but it was a load of fun lol._

_**Author's Note 3: **__On a side note I would just like to apologise to anyone I may have accidently pissed off with my biting remarks over the last few months. I had been having a very stressful time of it and I was taking out my frustrations on anyone who pointed out anything wrong with the story on this site. You guys know who you are._


	23. Varying Stages of Defeat

_**Chapter 22**_

_**Varying Stages of Defeat**_

The two men stood stock still as they faced each other, barrels of their bolt pistols smoking from the recent discharge. The standoff remained for several seconds after the echo of the gunshots slowly melted away that finally the victor of the duel became clear.

A meaty slap of something hitting the ground caught the Colonels attention and looking to his left he saw the remains of a forearm and hand, gripping the hilt of a katana designed powersword that looked remarkably like his own. Then he heard the sounds of liquid hitting the floor, and looked down in time to see a puddle of red appear at his feet.

His eyes wide, smirk gone the mad Colonel looked down to see his left arm missing as well as a good portion of his shoulder, blood pouring from the gaping wound like a miniature waterfall. Slowly his senses reawakened to this new sensation, this unbearable pain.

The Colonel didn't utter a sound. He only fell back as his vision swam and the pain forced him to ground his teeth together to stop himself from screaming out. All of his strength had left him in the time span of a few short seconds, his gun falling from his suddenly slack grasp to smack against the decking with a metal clunk.

"My, my," the man in red said as he approached, sporting the exact same vicious injuries he had. His left arm had been torn off, and blood was pooling from the wound onto his pitch black boots yet he continued his advance without a care in the world. He wasn't even breathing hard. The chiding voice only seemed to add to the surreal environment. "Look what you've done to my coat."

The Colonels eyes widened in fear when he saw a new limp grow to replace the old, appearing as a black sludge which slowly began to take the form of an actual flesh and blood arm, even replicating the arm of the longcoat and the white glove bearing the insignia of the Ordo Xenos. The man in red flexed his new limp, as if testing a new tool before a grin slowly retook his face. "There we go, not bad soldier but it'll take more than a dog like you to beat me."

His men panicked then, and the sound of plasma and gunfire filled the air as they pulled the triggers of their weapons. The Inquisition agent's body began to flinch and spasm as scatter rounds and plasma beams slammed into his frame, riddling him with buckshot fragments and leaving gaping, smoking holes. The Storm Troopers didn't react, didn't even move as the agent fell back to the ground with a meaty smack, blood pooling and splattering across the floor.

The four Arbites were panting heavily, eyes wide in fear and adrenaline as what they had done sunk in. The barrels of their weapons smoked from the discharge. Slowly, surely the four bodyguards surrounded their leader, shotguns and plasma weapons now trained on the unmoving Inquisition Storm Troopers.

"Not bad."

Everything went silent, breathes caught in the Arbites throats as they slowly turned their heads to the familiar voice. The _corpse _rose without movement, the gaping holes left by plasma beams and the smaller edifices left by the shotgun shells closing up with incredible speed.

The eyes, once rolled to the back of the agent's head shot forward, amber glasses a cracked and destroyed mess on the decking to reveal eyes of a demonic crimson. A grazing plasma discharge which cut through the skin of his right cheek, showing slightly charred teeth closed up like someone had knitted it back together at the speed of sound.

The man in red reached into his longcoat with both hands, crossing each other as they gripped the barrels of twin bolt pistols and drew them with frightening quickness, levelling them upon the four bodyguards.

"Not bad at all."

He fired, three rounds slamming into the first man, tearing off his arm and leaving a gaping hole in his chest. The second's head became a mass of red mist. The thirds right leg was ripped from its place and the right half of his abdomen had a gaping hole, blood spilling like a river to the decking. The fourth looked on with shaking hands as his three comrades fell to the ground in a mass of meaty slaps before spinning around and making a run for the prison barge. He made it three steps before a single round pierced his back and blasted open his chest. He made it another two steps before falling face first to the floor, blood already pooling.

The man in red scoffed as he approached the dying form of Colonel Jorge Maxwell, wounds continuing to heal until he towered over the Colonel exactly how he looked when he first appeared. His grin was feral, showing those oversized canines again as his red eyes gleamed with excitement at the blood spilt.

"You're a monster, a daemon." Maxwell muttered as he attempted to reach for his bolt pistol, only to have the weapon kicked from his grasp. "What kind of a man allies himself with the likes of you!"

The beasts grin widened. "I am not his ally. I will forever be the faithful servant of him and his apprentices."

"But you're a creature of Chaos."

The man in red scoffed, "I do not hold my allegiance to those who taint the warp with their presence. I serve only the man who bested me in combat all of those millennia ago, who looked upon my powers and decimated them with his own. Against the likes of him I was simply a leaf in the wind."

Before the Colonel could ask anymore a pair of bolt pistols was levelled upon him, rounds chambered in perfect timing. "Goodbye."

Gunfire resounded through the chamber, continuing on and on until the chambers of both pistols clicked empty. Marcus's grin never left as he began to walk, reloading each pistols in turn and allowing the empty magazines to fall to the decking before returning them to the holsters, secreted in the interior of his longcoat.

He approached the severed hand and extracted the powersword, opening the blade a few millimetres to see the shimmering liquid silver before closing it again. A click of his finger and the eighteen Storm Troopers rushed ahead of him to the transport, preparing her for launch.

By the time Marcus reached the still down access ramp the ship was already powered up and thrumming. He had reached the top of the ramp before he noticed that someone else had entered the chamber, one of the Alliances Psykers, a striking alien woman with skin the colour of deep purple and two long tails of some kind falling from the base of her skull.

Marcus looked down at the powersword in his right hand for a moment before tossing it out the ramp. The weapon flew the full thirty meters between him and the Psyker and she caught it with ridiculous ease.

When he spoke he knew his voice reached her and the platoon of soldiers piling through the blast-doors. "That weapon should be all you need to confirm the death of the Colonel. Present it to your Admiral as a gift from my master."

She was running right at the ship even before he finished his sentence, obviously because she sensed the presences of her fellows inside. Marcus sighed as he withdrew his right bolt pistol and levelled it against her, firing a single shot that slammed into the ground near her feet, immediately the alien female changed course, retreating to a nearby pillar as the agent continued to fire off three more rounds. She just made it to cover as the fourth slammed into the asphalt where her head would have been.

"I wonder if she realised I missed her on purpose." Marcus mused as he holstered his pistol and watched the landing ramp rise up to close. The ramp shut with an echoing clamp of several dozen restraints and a hiss of steam.

* * *

Rachi frowned as she watched the ship rise from its landing place and hover towards the large blast-doors, who opened with a squeal of mechanical servomotors just in time to allow it to continue on its journey. Already she knew her people were sending the ships description to the _Guardian_, and hopefully they would be able to disable her in time.

She left her refuge behind the asphalt pillar, stopping for a few moments to survey the huge crater where the bolt round slammed into the thick stone before continuing on her way, right into the AirGuard Major. "Are you alright ma'am?"

She managed a weak smile before it morphed into a frown, "Yes Major, I'm fine. He missed me on purpose."

The Major nodded, "We've sent word to _Guardian _command and circulated the vessels description. Maybe we can intercept her before she escapes."

"Maybe," Rachi nodded as she looked upon the five corpses in the centre of the hanger bay, four of them were obviously the Colonels bodyguards, ripped to pieces by several bolt rounds but the Colonel himself was another story, a twisted mass of bleeding and gaping flesh, cartilage and crushed bone which could barely have been perceived as a body at all.

Rachi shivered at the brutality before looking down at the katana in the Majors hands. She tapped it with her lightsaber hilt. "We'll present this to the Admiral, and look for his bolt pistol while you're at it. I'd rather bring back proof that the monster is dead than not."

The Major saluted, "Yes ma'am."

"Then we're pulling out," Rachi finished as she walked by the still saluting Major, closing her eyes briefly as she touched the force. "Times almost up."

"Times almost up," Sor'ai muttered as she watched the countdown continue on its downward spiral, barely eight minutes before the Inquisition fleet arrives. She gave the Admiral a worried glance, one which he returned with a nod.

* * *

"What's the word on the evacuation?"

"All infiltration units have successfully evacuated the _Independence _and are returning to the _Resolute_. The prisoners have been retrieved from the surface and we are just finishing up the retrieval of all ground forces. We should have everyone out by the time the enemy arrives."

The Admiral nodded his head, "Anything on the man responsible for this?"

"Lieutenant General Sitra reports that he has been slain, and is bringing back his ceremonial powersword and bolt pistol as proof." The operator replied. "However she reports that his death was not caused by her or General Sabbath's hands, or anyone else. The culprit has been described as a tall man in red longcoat and hat, black hair, pale skin, red eyes, human in appearance."

"The prison barge?"

"Not been found yet sir."

Joseph ground his teeth together in frustration. "Force be damned we're running out of time."

"Sir, all personnel reports successful evacuation of the _Independence_. All gunships and the _Resolute _are reported clear and are asking for further instructions."

The Admiral was silent for a long moment. The atmosphere in the flagships security foyer was so tense a pin drop could be heard. Finally he took a shaky breath and raised his head, showing the resolve burning in his steel eyes. "We have no choice. Main guns target the _Independence_ and fire when ready."

There was a moment of silence, "Yes sir."

In their minds the crew in both the security foyer and the main bridge could feel the several dozen main turbolaser batteries of the Star Dreadnought swivelling into position, each gunnery team grimly reporting that they were ready, one by one until all that was needed was the word of the most powerful man in the fleet. Halos was silent for a long moment, leaning against the main holotable before taking one last long look at the capital-ship they had come to save.

There was a forlorn sigh of defeat, "Fire."

And fire they did.

At least fifty turbolaser batteries opened fire in unison, releasing streams of emerald weapons fire into the unshielded side of the Star Destroyer. The entire crew watched as the beams of incandescent light, each capable of vaporising whole city blocks with ease, burnt through the ships armoured hull, ripped open its decks, destroyed its bridge tower, blasted apart its main turbolaser batteries one at a time and finally concentrating fire upon its dormant engine nacelles.

The whole procedure was done with surgical precision, each gun battery, each engine nacelle, each shield generator, everything which could have been categorised as vital to the vessels running was systematically destroyed and finally, mercifully a turbolaser blast struck its now exposed hyperdrive engines.

The resulting explosion was similar to that of a miniature supernova. The Star Destroyer was ripped apart into dozens of smaller pieces by the blast, forever denying the Imperium the opportunity to take her apart. Several hundred Imperial lives, Tech Priests, Adeptus Arbites and Inquisitional agents were snuffed out in an instant and what little pieces of the Star Destroyer that remained either drifted in space or fell to the surface, destined to either burn up in the atmosphere of Topaz V or becoming flaming comets which would slam into the soil and be nothing more than charred steel.

The gunners targeted whatever debris was deemed large enough to house anything remotely salvageable and blasted it apart. The whole destruction of the _Independence_, once proud warship of the Galactic Alliance Defence Fleet, took a grand total of two minutes thirty nine seconds.

Halos looked at the debris field which was once the Star Destroyer and surrounding dry dock for several long moments before the voice of one of his com officers broke through his train of thought. "All ground forces report clear of the target zone sir."

"I see," the Admiral replied. "Initiate an orbital bombardment of that valley. I want nothing living down there to survive, do you understand?"

"Clear sir."

He looked upon the facial features of Jedi Knight Gabrielle Sabbath, who simply looked straight ahead, a mass of conflicting emotions visible in her lovely chocolate eyes. She said nothing and didn't have to. Joseph Halos copied her motion. He would not shy away from this.

The main turbolaser batteries of the _Guardian_, as well as the _Sword of Ithor, Sabre of Duros _and the _Resolute _released a torrential, withering, all destroying barrage of turbolaser fire upon the valley which housed the death camp.

To anyone who was on the surface the beams of turbolaser fire fell like emerald rain, impacting against the surface and reducing everything in that valley to ashes. Blooms of mushroom shaped smoke rose up, only to be dispelled and replaced by larger variants as more turbolaser blasts impacted against the sight.

The castle and surrounding battlements were reduced to ash and burning, molten corpses. The underground tunnels which housed a prison empty of live prisoners and full of Adeptus Arbites collapsed in on itself, unable to bear the terrible weight of hundreds of turbolaser beams slamming into the surface above.

The barrage lasted a minute and when it was finished the very landscape of the valley had been changed from one belonging to an M-class world to one more similar to the landscape of Terra's singular moon. The landscape had been transformed from one of a lush valley full of flak cannons and anti-air weapons to a burning, barren landscape. Grey as stone and full of craters of all shapes and sizes.

Nothing was left alive.

Halos continued to look upon the mass of meshed together mushroom shaped clouds, clearly visible from orbit, and didn't take his eyes off them until he heard the sounds of alarm claxons. The Inquisition fleet had arrived, and in force.

"They're three and a half minutes early." Sor'ai observed.

"So they are." Halos agreed with a sigh. "Times up, we can't look for that prison barge even if we wanted too."

"Yes sir."

"What's the status on our exit?"

"All ships report ready."

"Then give the order."

"Yes sir."

Halos eyes didn't leave the smouldering wreck which was once a valley, even as the Star Dreadnought vanished into hyperspace, the survivors of the fleet following suit within milliseconds of each other.

They had won.

But it was a pyrrhic victory.

They had crushed the enemy.

They had only saved two thousand lives out of thirty two thousand, and of those five thousand had been taken from under their noses. They had lost two ships this day. The _Independence _by his own order and the _Dauntless _from enemy fire, and he had lost a good friend and staunch ally as well.

Was this a victory?

It wasn't.

Victory was an illusion.

There was only varying stages of defeat.

* * *

Jaeger stared at the images as they came through, surveying the entire scenario over and over again before replaying it in his mind. He was an old soldier, and had seen such sights hundreds, if not thousands of times before. Yet this particular scene left a bitter taste in his mouth not easily removed.

It wasn't over the amount of lives lost, nor the fact that the battle had just reached its bloody conclusion as his commandeered fleet arrived upon the scene. The images showing the scattered debris of steel and metal which was once ships of war did not concern him. The sight of the Emperor-forsaken Alliance fleet in orbit did not even faze him. It was the complete and utter lack of any visual of the captured Star Destroyer awaiting them, all that was left of the vessel was tiny, now useless fragments of debris, either hanging in orbit of burning away as it broke the atmosphere of the penal planet.

The Alliance had not been able to reclaim their lost ship, but made sure that their secrets would not fall into the hands of the Imperium. They destroyed it, right down to anything bigger than fifty meters in height or length. Then they turned their sights on the penal colony which no doubt once held their captive brethren, bombarding the valley and surrounding ranges until they looked like the surface of holy Terra's single moon of Luna.

"Fire," Admiral Shen, Grant and the majority of the officers within earshot looked over at him, almost as if not quite believing what he said.

"Sir, we're well out of range." The Admiral pointed out.

"I don't care." Jaeger roared in barely contained fury and rage. "Fire the missiles, the torpedoes, lance batteries, rail guns, the nova cannon. Fire it all. Fire EVERYTHING!"

The lance batteries of the Blackship opened up in a withering display of lance fire, hordes of missiles and torpedoes were unleashed from her multiple launchers. A display of firepower which would have been terrifying for any enemy to set his sights upon, yet it was all in vein. The brilliant beams of lance fire would never reach their targets. The clouds of anti-fighter and anti-ship missiles and torpedoes would take too long to reach their aligned targets.

The Alliance fleet, a single huge command ship and eight smaller support craft escaped into their thrice damned Hyperspace well before the missiles could reach them, leaving nothing more than the debris of combat and the horrible scar on the planet of Topaz V.

Inquisitor Hans Jaeger glared hatefully upon the space where the Alliance fleet had been, before throwing his head back and roaring in anger.

Halos had beaten him again.

* * *

It was one of the most horrible sights Gabrielle had seen in a long time, and considering she had survived the Yuuzhan Vong war that was saying something. The two thousand survivors could barely stand or support their own weight, many had to be carried or assisted from the Star Cruisers and Gunships where a divisions worth of medics and doctors waited for them.

Every single one of them were nothing more than skin, bones and rags, literarily starving to death and most of them were dangerously dehydrated. What was worse nearly all of them were sick. The lack of any clean clothes, or bathing facilities in their cells meant that these people were forced to live in squalor conditions, and many of them had contracted illnesses and diseases from being forced to live through it.

Fresh clothes had been drafted from the reserve supplies and handed out. The cooks and assistants working the kitchens aboard the titanic Star Dreadnought were working on overtime, preparing a massive meal of food and water for the freed prisoners. Temporary bathing facilities had been set up. Doctors, nurses and medics were once again finding themselves overrun by the sheer number of patients brought to their doorstep. Most probably wouldn't be able to make it to the medical wing, so they moved it to an empty hanger.

The Jedi were one of the first to volunteer to help, even Alana and Marie had volunteered to help them. The two newly turned Apprentices had been made Hossk's assistants as he moved between the hastily setup hospital beds, helping whoever they could in turn. None of the freed prisoners minded, if anything the males among them were just happy to see a pretty face.

What got to Gabrielle the most, she realised, wasn't the condition the freed POW's were in, nor how sick or filthy they were. All of that could be rectified. It was the look in many of the survivor's eyes that got to her. Some had broken down, unable to stop crying. Others tried to look strong so as not to worry anyone, and failed miserably. The most tragic was those who simply looked dead inside, with eyes that were nothing more than deep pools which lacked emotion. There were too many of those.

She was about to help, but Rachi stopped her. The older Jedi told her that with her own injuries she would be more of a hindrance, and so instead presented her with a powersword, which Gabrielle noted with disgust the symbols of the Imperium, and told her to deliver that and a specially crafted bolt pistol to the Admiral. They belonged to the commander of the penal colony, may his wretched soul burn in the deepest pit of hell.

So here she was, moving into the security foyer were the Admiral, Captain Flore and a majority of specially chosen operators and aides worked. The security foyer could be considered the nerve centre of the Star Dreadnought. She stood to the side, powersword in hand, and waited to be recognised. Halos bid her to come to him straight away.

"Major General Sabbath," the Admiral greeted with a weak smile. "What is it?"

She held out the cursed blade, keeping to protocol. "Lieutenant General Sitra was unable to present this to you herself sir. They are the weapons of the commander of the penal colony, a powersword and bolt pistol, as proof of his demise."

"I see," Halos replied, tone calm. He took the sword and holstered pistol, still stained with dried blood, from Gabrielle's hand, looking them over before setting the holstered firearm to the side. He gripped the sheath and hilt and drew the sword in a smooth motion. The Admiral examined the blade, noting the high gothic engraved on the sides before sheathing it once again. "Thank you Major General."

She knew a dismissal when she heard one, saluted and spinning on her heel walked away. She heard the Admiral call one of his aides over and present the weapons to him. "I want those symbols removed from the sheath, replace them with our own and get rid of that jargon on the blade."

The man saluted sharply, "As you wish, Admiral."

One last show of defiance to the Imperium, Gabrielle realised, take one of their weapons and make it into your own.

* * *

Lord Inquisitor William Silvermane threw his head back and laughed as he watched the end result of the conflict. It had been an enjoyable display of what the fleet and ground contingents of this Galactic Alliance were capable off. He had learned much from surveying this struggle, both on the abilities of their ships and the minds of their senior staff.

The commanding officer of the fleet was either a strategic genius or an insane daredevil. Creating a diversion to lead away the main contingent of the defending fleet, using his vessels superior faster-than-light engines to jump to the pole of the planet where they would be rendered invisible to all sensors and finally jumping right on top of the rearguard, completely eliminating the enemy flagship and her escort in a single, decisive blow.

Then he saw exactly what lengths the senior staff of the fleet was willing to go to keep their advantages their own. They did attempt to retake their lost ship, but once that became impossible with the allotted timeframe they withdrew their boarding parties and destroyed it with a withering display of firepower.

Then there was what they did to the penal colony itself.

"Bravo, bravo," he clapped his hands before picking up his goblet of wine and raising it to them in salute. "So you can be just as vicious and ruthless as us after all, my adversary? Ordering the complete destruction of the penal colony does indeed send a message that you are not to be fucked with."

He took a long sip of his wine, enjoying the flavour before turning to one of his finest subordinates. Rafael Le Chat stood to his right, still as well dressed in his white suit and hat as ever, bowing before him and awaiting the signal to begin the report.

"What news from Marcus?"

Rafael bowed further before he spoke, but nothing could hide the grin adorning his face. "Mission accomplished."

Silvermane smiled, "Excellent news."

"He was able to escape undetected with five thousand Alliance prisoners." Le Chat continued. "All are in poor condition. It seems the officer in charge conveniently forgot to feed or water them after he got what he needed from their commanding officer."

"I see," Silvermane mumbled, taking another sip of his wine. "Have the full medical staff ready and waiting for them. I want their health restored and as many lives saved as humanly possible, they are an important key. If anyone refuses or attempts to cause any _accidents _then they may find themselves out an airlock, understood?"

Le Chat's grin became that of a Cheshire cat, "Perfectly, my lord."

"Excellent," the Lord Inquisitor replied. "Then step to it, Rafael."

"At once my lord," Le Chat's bow deepened before he straightened, spun around and walked from his master's chamber, whistling an eerie tune as he went.

It was only once he was gone that the third person in the chambers spoke, and with a mixture of amusement and bemusement in her tone. "What are you planning?"

Silvermane looked over at his last apprentice with a slight smile. "Jaegers actions at Kronus made a successful accord difficult, and the actions of some fool on Topaz made anything fruitful with the Alliance impossible by regular means."

"So you plan to use these five thousand prisoners as a bargaining chip?" Robyn asked with a raised brow.

"More like a show of good faith," Silvermane replied, looking down at the rippling crimson surface of his wine, swirling it about in his goblet. "Jaegers attempt of force has proven a complete and utter failure, another more subtle strategy is necessary."

Robyn seemed to understand, "what you are about to do would be considered unorthodox at the least and heretical at worst."

"Are you against it?" he asked.

"No, as always I am with you." Robyn replied with a quirky smile. "I'm just stating the obvious is all."

"Sometimes the obvious needs to be stated."

"What does _he _think of this plan?"

"_He _has approved it," Silvermane answered, downing the last of his wine. "But he has told me to be careful and to watch my back."

"Jaeger will still be a problem."

"You let me worry about _Inquisitor_ Hans Jaeger, my young friend." Silvermane rose from his chair as he spoke. "Let me worry about him and you worry about your part to play in future events."

"Oh?" she drawled. "And what part will I play in your grand chess game, master?"

"An important role my dear, as always," Silvermane's laughter filled the chamber as he moved towards the exit.

* * *

It had been a harrowing day.

That was the thought of Rachi Sitra as she sagged into the chair of her own quarters, sipping on a cup of Caf as she went over the information on the Tau Ethereal Staffs for the umpteenth time. She knew she was too tired to be doing anything worthwhile, and Professor Lissana had told her to get some sleep, but she found even the idea of sleep impossible.

She had tried to sleep twice since collapsing on one of the small beds in the scientist's quarter, and each time she closed her eyes she would be assaulted by the horrific scenes she had witnessed that day. A mountain of rotting corpses, either shot or starved to death, piled up on top of each other like trash. The defeated and traumatised survivors, nothing more than skin and bones in rags, either breaking down into sobbing messes or looking at the world around them with frighteningly dead eyes.

After half an hour of this she got up out of bed, dressed in nothing more than a nightgown, fired up her monitor and began going through the staff weaponry data, knowing she couldn't add onto it yet finding a strange comfort in simply reading it. The room was dark, save for the slight luminescence coming from her rooms monitor, illuminating her face.

She could already feel her eyes droop, once again letting her know of her bodies demand for sleep. Timidly she ceased fighting the urge and hoped that this time mountains of corpses and broken victims wouldn't dominate her dreams.

It was a wasted hope.

She saw the man in red, levelling that long barrelled bolt pistol directly at her head, malicious grin in place as he pulled the trigger. The sound of the pistol discharging its round forced her from her light sleep, gasping for air as it left her lungs in one large exhale. She was sweating, eyes darting from one side of her dark room to the other, as if that same man would phase through the shadows at any moment.

Eventually she relaxed, and activated the lighting in her room with a simple word from her lips, the lighting came on, dim at first before slowly brightening to allow her eyes to adjust to the change. Rachi groaned, annoyed at herself more than anything, before looking out her port window, watching the sea of stars and the spires of the great Star Dreadnoughts living quarters.

A knock came at the door, making her jump in surprise, but it wasn't for long. Rachi looked at her doors for a moment, thinking who it could be at this hour. Dani, or maybe Gabrielle, perhaps it was Marie. She spoke a single word, amazed at how shaken her own voice sounded. "Enter."

The door opened, and to her surprise it wasn't Dani, Gabrielle or Marie on the other end. Standing in casual clothes, looking as worn and tired as she was, was Chance Falkirk. He wore a simple pair of jeans, a white shirt and brown jacket, hair messy and face full of stubble from a few nights of not shaving. In his right hand was a bottle of wine, her home worlds make, and in his left was a pair of small glass goblets.

"I had a feeling you'd be here." He said with a tired smile. "Care for some company?"

Rachi smiled, a weak smile, but a genuine smile. What better way to get some sleep with a troubled mind than with a bottle of wine, and her home worlds brands were notorious for being strong. "Sure."

She turned off the monitor and made her way to the small table and worn chairs, allowing him to set the glasses down and pour a generous amount into each before setting the bottle on the table. The two of them picked up their goblets, toasted and quickly downed the liquid.

"Couldn't sleep either?" she asked as he poured the second serving.

"Yea," Chance replied as he set the now half empty bottle down and leaned against the worn yet comfortable chair. "I don't think I'll sleep right for a while."

She nodded her head, this time taking a gulp of her drink. "Yeah, I've seen some terrible things in my life... but that..."

"Takes the whole Sithing cake," Chance agreed as he looked over at her, noticing her cradling her drink to her chest, eyes taking on a faraway look he immediately decided didn't suit her. He knew about her past. How she was a Jedi from the early Rebellion era, just as they were rising up to challenge the Galactic Empire. She had fought against Darth Vader and lived to tell about it.

She had been captured by Dark Jedi, tortured, imprisoned in carbonite and left to hang as a trophy. They had gotten nothing from her during the torture, she refused to break, and that said a great deal of her character and will. She had hung there for at least two decades, made to endure a different torture in her being completely conscious during her entire imprisonment, unable to move or age, staring at the same place every second after every minute after every hour after every day. If Gabriel Sabbath hadn't have found and freed her she would have likely gone mad.

He found himself looking at her, watching her as she fought with her own demons, admiring her grace and beauty. She was a woman who had seen her fair share of pain and suffering in her life, tortured, imprisoned, forced to be completely conscious yet unable to move. It was a horror one wouldn't understand unless they had lived through it themselves. She was strong, graceful, beautiful, kind and gentle.

As he admired her he felt that same question surface in his mind once again. It had been slowly surfacing in his mind since that incident in the chamber which housed the unstable Slipstream Drive, where they had fought and defeated that Yuuzhan Vong infiltrator.

What was she to him?

She was a friend. He knew that immediately. He had saved her life when they were trying to weed out the Yuuzhan Vong agent, and had forged a friendship that had held together ever since. His whole unit became protective of her, yet he took it to a new level. He became protective of her.

What did she mean to him?

"Chance?" that was new. Usually she would call him Major or Falkirk, or both.

"Yea?"

"If I ever get captured," she said as she looked into his eyes, unwavering blue meeting shimmering chocolate. "Don't let them take me."

Chance looked into her eyes, and saw what she was truly feeling at that moment. In that moment of weakness she wasn't some all powerful and knowing Jedi Master, cocky in her abilities like he once naively believed. Here, now, in front of him he saw beyond her mask. He saw a woman terrified of what she saw, and scared of what would happen.

"I won't let them take you, Rachi."

She looked up into his eyes, and he swore he had never seen a more beautiful creature in his life, "Promise?"

"I promise." He said without hesitation. Then, beyond all judgement he did something he never thought he would ever do.

He kissed a Jedi.

* * *

The debris floated in space, remnants of a dozen ships of war from two separate nations forever hanging in the depths of space, either destined to burn up in the atmosphere of a planet or forever wander through the void between worlds.

The moment the fleet settled into orbit around Topaz V a swarm of small gunships and fighter craft left the hangers, scouring the debris field of open space for any survivors amongst the gutted and burnt out wrecks of Frigates, Star Destroyers and Cruisers. Hundreds of men and women, survivors who managed to cling onto life in closed off sections of the dead ships were extracted, some alive, others clinging to the boundary between life and death.

The remains of the _Dauntless _were in the same condition as those other vessels who met their end, nothing more than a gutted wreck, unsalvageable. The main section of the ship was nothing more than a shell, a ruined potted and holed shell, interior decks burnt away from enemy fire and interior explosions.

The remains of the ships bridge tower floated several thousand kilometres away from the rest, right half burned away from the lance blast which claimed her Captain and those senior staff who remained behind. The left side, miraculously, was left almost completely undamaged. The interior, other than experiencing the vacuum of space was remarkably well intact.

A shadow fell upon the half destroyed tower. The form of an Imperial support vessel, the _Sword-class _Frigate _Divinity_, loomed over the remains of the dead Star Destroyer, already launching a squadron of gunships. The _Valkyrie_ gunships each contained a unit of armed Skitarii, guardsmen of the Adeptus Mechanicus and each led by a Techpriest. Their half mechanical bodies modified for zero gravity space travel.

Within the half destroyed bridge, open to space, the security foyer was undamaged, sealed away thanks to security procedures, databanks within damaged yet intact. It took the Techpriests a half hour to cut through the heavily armoured blast-doors and another few minutes for them to realise the significance of their find.

The first Techpriest on the scene was the one to report it in, sending a heavily encrypted message in machine language to the Blackship _Silent Night_. Once decoded, which took the best crackers on the ship a half hour to do so, the message simply read.

_Jackpot_

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Star Wars and Warhammer 40K are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story._

_**Author's Note 2: **__Presentations ended a few days ago, so now I've finished all of my work for my final year. It was a tough ride, but all I can do know is wait for my results in mid-June and hope for the best. Hope you all enjoyed my adding of a few characters from another Grimdark work of fiction, lol, I enjoyed writing it. Anyway I hope you all enjoyed the chapter so far, and if there is no update for the next few weeks don't panic, it'll just be me trying to fix up how the next piece of the story is going to go._


	24. Layers of Deceit

_**Chapter 23**_

_**Layers of Deceit**_

It wasn't a single ship which entered the main hanger of the _Silent Night_, it was at least half a dozen. The first to move through the defensive shield between hanger and the vacuum of space was the Lord Inquisitors personal transport, a _Thunderhawk _Gunship which was rumoured to be granted to him by the Ultramarines themselves. It's hull, once painted Ultramarine blue and red was now black and bone white, bearing the insignia of the Ordo Xenos and the Imperial double eagle on the upper broadside of its stubby wings.

Following the remodelled Gunship was another four _Valkyrie _Gunships, coloured in the same pattern as the _Thunderhawk _and armed with enough firepower to eradicate an enemy bunker and the land surrounding it. Inquisitor Jaeger had no doubt that each Gunship was loaded with soldiers of the elite Inquisition Storm Troopers, at least a company of men based on the number of ships.

The _Thunderhawk _was the first to land. The roar of its powerful rear engines dying away mere moments after it landed on the deck. The four escorts followed suit, landing in what appeared to be a perfect v-formation. The landing ramps on the escorts lowered first, disgorging whole squads worth of Inquisition Storm Troopers clad in black armour and carrying Hellguns.

The men rushed forward with speed and precision, forming in a single formation of men twenty across and five deep to the left of the still un-lowered ramp-way of the _Thunderhawk_. They were truly a terrifying sight, Jaeger realised. This many Storm Troopers could probably be enough to conquer a small city, each was worth at least ten regulars in the Imperial Guard.

He suppressed a snarl as he glared upon the Lord Inquisitors transport, hand gripping tightly around his staff as he waited. Grant was by his right side, face an unreadable mask, as well as several leading officials within the fleet. Admiral Shen stood to his left, jaw taught as he awaited the moment he would be placed under the command of the Lord Admiral rumoured to be temporarily in Silvermane's service.

The worst case was that Jaeger knew exactly who it was. He recognised the official flagship of the small taskforce as the _Royal Oak _from Kronus, and that could only mean that Lord Admiral Xavier Tobias was the man who would become the official head of this fleet.

It made his blood boil.

The ramp finally lowered with a whine of servomotors and a hiss of steam. Lord Inqusiitor William Silvermane was descending before it even touched the steel decking. He was exactly as Jaeger remembered him, right down to the armour he wore and the dual bolt pistols holstered to his black utility belt. His two most powerful agents flanked his left and right, Marcus Von Rosenberg and Rafael Le Chat, two monsters among men to the point where most doubted they were still men.

Jaeger was surprised that none of his pet Inquisitors were accompanying him, no Robyn Vallace, no Solomon Priest or Konstantin Creed. He wasn't expecting either 'Feral Wolf' Priest who was rumoured to be in the midst of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade nor 'Red Eyes' Creed who was somewhere in Segmentum Obscuras, but he was expecting Silvermane's little pet bitch, the so called 'Razor-Wire'.

He looked up just as William 'Two-Hands' Silvermane walked up to him and then right past him, giving him nothing more than a cold glance which made Jaeger's right hand twitch for his bolt pistol. The Lord Inquisitor walked a further three steps before he spoke and his words left no room for an argument.

"I am taking over this assignment. Lord Admiral Tobias will be my fist and Inquisitor Vallace will be my voice." He turned his head, cold, calculating eye looking at Jaeger as if he were nothing more than a fly on the wall. "Do I make myself clear, Jaeger?"

He ground his teeth together, set his jaw and clenched his fists for a brief moment before turning to meet him. "Yes Lord Inquisitor, it is most clear."

"Excellent," Silvermane replied. "I will be setting up an interim council to decide the best course of action. You and Admiral Shen will be some of my councillors Jaeger."

It took a moment for the words to sink in before Hans Jaeger gave Silvermane a calculated look. The old man wasn't going to cast him out. He was keeping him around as an advisor? The idea was plainly preposterous, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He could use this to his advantage later.

"I understand my lord," he bowed low, digging his hand into his elbow until it broke the skin and drew blood. "I am at your command."

"Glad to hear it." Silvermane replied before turning around and walking away, his two bodyguards continuing to flank his left and right.

"Are you sure it is a good idea to keep him around," Le Chat asked once they were out of earshot. "He is a dangerous man to have."

"Yes, I agree." Marcus added with a devilish grin, hand creeping towards the left shoulder satchel containing one of his bolt pistols. "I can kill him if you want."

"No," Silvermane replied. "Keep your friends close but your enemy's closer still. Keeping him here keeps him out of trouble.

"He's hiding something." Marcus muttered, amber sunglasses lowering down his nose to show eyes bleeding crimson.

"Oh," Le Chat hummed, dumping his hands into his trouser pockets. "A game of cat and mouse is it?"

"Well said my old friend."

Jaeger waited until the Lord Inquisitor was out of earshot before leaning towards Grant. "I want all knowledge of that databank to remain secret, on pain of death."

"Understood sir," Grant replied. "The Tech-Priests have secluded themselves until the cleansing rituals are complete."

"We're not going to tell him?" Shen asked with a frown.

"That wealth of information is my last triumph card, and our last chance to salvage the ruins of our pride and reputation." Jaeger replied, eyes glaring with no lack of hatred at the Lord Inquisitors back. "The location to the Alliance base is on there somewhere, and we will find it."

"Understood,"

* * *

The enemy had come as wraiths from old tales. There was no warning of their approach. The defence fleet in orbit were under no attack from enemy ships, no drop ships fell from the skies nor were there any signs of forward bases or outposts. There was no warning of the enemy coming. Their arrival was silent and perfect.

They just appeared in the middle of the streets of the city, past midnight. Tall lanky aliens bedecked in monstrous armour shimmering black and dark purple in the hunters moon. Their crescent shaped helms carved with the vicious snarl of daemons and monsters. Long barrelled exotic rifles and curved blades catching the moonlight as they flicked and sang through bodies and limbs, leaving trails of blood flying from their blade tips.

Howls of laughter filled air rife with smoke and flame, chilling laughter which brought an even greater chill up and down the spines of any man who heard it. These creatures had no knowledge of mercy and humanity in them. Their very existence seemed to be to bring pain and suffering upon those they choose to fight against. Their laughter of glee did nothing to smother to other cries of fear and anguish as innocent people were either cut down in their droves or dragged away to face a fate worse than death.

The Dark Eldar made their Craftworld brethren look tame. Any man who had fought both would tell you that if he had a choice of who to face he would say he would fight the wanderers instead of the pirates and corsairs. Colonel Robert D. Jeffrey's, commander of the 39th Battalion defending the town of Forfar could testify that he was one such man who had fought both.

There were some seven hundred Imperial Guardsmen under his command. Originally that force had been more along the number of a thousand, but a six month tour of duty fighting Orks in the Chrisios star system had seen to whittle them down. He had hoped their redeployment to this small planet just out of the battlezone would be a much needed respite.

It did not appear that the Darklings agreed. His Battalion had been scattered in the first few minutes of the confrontation. His sentries had been killed in surprise and silence, and nearly another fifth of his men had been killed in their bunks when the alien menace attacked them in their barracks. His men were now scattered within the city in units as small as fire-teams to as big as platoons, heavy fighting was reported everywhere and casualties were rising explosively.

Here he stood on the roof of the cities courthouse with a platoon of his most veteran men, half of his senior officers were killed in the barracks, their mutilated bodies now crucified to the wooden walls. He still had his second, Major Julian Mathews, and his first aide Lieutenant Charlotte Rhodes standing with him.

Jeffrey's heard the hum of the enemy hover-boards before he saw them, and was just able to draw and aim his bolt pistol before they flew over the line of houses, firing short bursts of fire from their splinter cannons as they came. He saw one of his men take a shot to the face and fall back before his men retaliated with lasfire. Tracer rounds lit up the night sky in a flurry of white and red.

Then Ravagers fell upon them, black armoured monsters gliding down on equally black wings carrying splinter rifles and wicked blades. Jeffrey's raised his gun and fired a round right into the chest of a landing Ravager, blowing his chest open in an explosion of light red blood and fragmented bone. Rhodes downed one in a similar manner before they were upon them.

He saw Mathews fall, unsure of where he was hit or what he was hit with. Another of his men flew back. His chest skewered by the bayonet of a splinter rifle. Jeffrey's fired two rounds, one opening up a hole in the Ravagers right side while the other turned his head into a red mist. Charlottes cut off scream made him spin around in time to see her dragged from the rooftop. Whether she was dead or unconscious he was unsure, but his last round missed both her and the Ravager carrying her away into the darkness.

The door to the roof exploded open, and Dark Eldar warriors rushed out, splinter rifles firing bursts of white shards. The Colonel drew his power-sword and took off the head of the first warrior to come his way with a wide swing before a bayonet stabbed into his back, severing his spinal cord in one deadly cut.

Another bayonet went into his chest as he fell.

* * *

The city burned.

The innocent screamed.

The defenders died.

It was a beautiful sight.

It was a symphony of harmonious music to his ears.

It was a feast of delectable images to his sights.

He watched the destruction with a vicious grin and gleaming eyes of crimson. Crescent helm tucked under his left arm to allow his long locks of raven black hair to pool just past his shoulders. His skin was as white as death, features as sharp as a blade. His armour gleamed like his eyes in the dark night, a thin bladed sword sheathed in a black scabbard with embroidering of blood red. A cape which showed the symbol of his status hung across his shoulders like a curtain.

"Do you see them down there my dear?" he grinned as he turned.

Two of his elite Incubi held the female by her arms, for if left alone he was sure she would crumble. Her body covered in rags which were once the under-mesh of her Warlock armour, exposed skin as white as snow showed clearly bruises and shallow cuts brought upon her by the Homunculus torturers. Her raven black hair had been torn from its bindings, covering her face in a messy mane which reached to the small of her back.

She didn't answer as he approached, hands held behind his back. "See how they fall apart when faced with the unknown. That is one thing these Mon'Keigh insects share in common with you and you're wandering kin."

Her head rose, black hair parting slightly to show a deliciously beautiful face and piercing violet eyes which had not lost their ferocity. When she spoke her voice was raspy. "I will not... break."

"Oh you will my dear," he grinned as he grabbed her slender chin roughly and forced her to look up into his eyes. "Everything breaks with the proper amount of time. I wonder how long you would last against my finest torturer before you lose your composure and scream until your throat is raw. I would love to hear that."

She didn't respond, simply glared at him. Her defiance only made him grin even more, how much enjoyment he would get from breaking her himself. To see her writhe underneath him like the bitch she was. "I wonder where else do you think I will strike next. I think another raid will be needed before I have the slaves I need to return to the dark city."

She chuckled, ignoring the slight trail of burgundy which dripped down the corners of her mouth. "I wouldn't know."

He smirked. "I do, and it's the perfect place, a small colony with a small taskforce which seems to be completely isolated from the rest of the Mon'Keigh Empire, a perfect target to finish my little sojourn around these lesser races."

She didn't answer.

She would not give him the satisfaction of answering.

It had the effect she wanted, grin faltering into a murderous snarl. "Send her back to the Homunculus, maybe she'll be more forthcoming after another few sessions."

He turned, looking through the view-screen to the destruction below. The entire Mon'Keigh settlement was burning now, huge plumes of smoke rising from inflamed, half demolished buildings and structures. Every now and then one of the foolish inferior's creations would finally collapse under the strain in a mass of mortar, concrete and brick. How frail and useless human architecture seemed to be. He preferred the beautiful and demonic sharp towers of his home.

He spun on his heel, black cloak flailing with his movement and began walking from the bridge of his flagship. "Take us from here, assemble the fleet and set a course for our final target."

His commanding officer turned his head and bowed ever so slightly.

"It will be done, Archon Deathstrike."

His grin returned as his flagship, the _Darkness-class _Battleship _Torment in Chains _rose from its place several hundred meters above the tallest building of the ransacked settlement. The Archon did not cast a single thought to those warriors still below, if they were unable to make it to their respective Dark Webways by the time the fleet was out of range then they were the weak and expendable of his raiders, others can be recruited.

Within moments his flagship broke through the atmosphere and into orbit, its stealth cloaks making it completely invisible to the Mon'Keigh warships on patrol. No one would even know they were there until it was too late. The city would be nothing but a smouldering ruin and any survivors, if there were any, would spread the tale of the Dark Eldar.

Fear was the ultimate weapon.

It was the weapon his people, the Dark Eldar, carried over all else. Those Lightling fools could continue to whine about the old days of the empire, but they knew that any hope of a revived Eldar Empire was long dead and buried. There was no use crying over something that would never be. The Dark Eldar embraced this dark time when they were to be pirates and raiders. The Dark Eldar embraced the true emotions of their race, ones of chaos, ecstasy and warfare. They were true to their nature.

This planet, this little peaceful world, was about to feel their wrath. The sounds of war would come to this untouched Eden and show it the true workings of the galaxy, one of carnage and bloodshed. They would scream and flail and die and the Dark Eldar would laugh with unbridled glee.

Deathstrike's grin returned at the promise of what was to come.

The highest authority of his people would be overjoyed.

* * *

"Thank you all for gathering."

Silvermane looked over the gathering of men and women as they were seated before him. He immediately recognised Robyn and Lord Admiral Tobias among the crowd, but the rest were complete strangers to him. The majority being from the fleet Jaeger had assembled. Most seemed uncaring of the change in leadership, if anything some of them seemed slightly relieved.

His wizened eyes picked out the Inquisitor immediately, as well as the former commanding officer of the fleet, Admiral Shen, recently pushed to second in command with the introduction of the Lord Admiral. As well as these two there were others, all representing separate institutions within the fleet. He saw a Cardinal, a General, a Tech-Priest Magi, a Senior Astronomicon and to his surprise even a Space Marine Captain, a Blood Raven if he remembered the colours and insignias.

"My name is William Silvermane, I am a Lord Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos. I also introduce to you Xavier Tobias, Lord Admiral and new supreme commander of the fleet and my protégé, Inquisitor Robyn Valace." Silvermane leaned forward in his chair at the head of the table, looking over each new face in turn with the same unyielding expression, checking to see who might be potential allies in this struggle. "If my sources are correct then you have been chasing this Galactic Alliance force for some time, and as far as I can tell your troubles have come to nought."

"Not true Lord Inquisitor." The Cardinal spoke up. "By the divine Emperors will we were able to capture one of their warships."

"Indeed you did, Cardinal Bartholomew Clay, however that achievement is mute because the vessel in question was destroyed during the battle." His eyes moved around, scanning each representative. "Tell me gentlemen what have you been able to salvage from this, any information on the enemy at all?"

"I am afraid not much," the Magi stated. "The vessel was destroyed before we could retrieve information from it. We were barely able to perform a light cleansing ritual on the vessel before its destruction, but we were able to glean some information beforehand."

"Then please, Magi Columbus Durin, share your information."

The Tech-Priest rose from his chair and bowed. "The ship we captured is known to them as a Star Destroyer, a vessel which would qualify to them as a Capital-ship and would be considered the backbone of their naval forces. It is capable of fielding several squadrons of fighters and bombers as well as having substantial firepower to pulverise the surface of a planet within a day of her guns opening fire."

"She could render an Exterminatus within a day?" Cardinal Clay asked.

"One of our vessels of similar size could do the same, however it is impressive that another force has gained the power to do so." The General, Carlos Shafer, pondered loudly.

"As well as this we were able to gain some information on their weapons, though it is not much." Durin stated. "Their main guns are not as powerful as ours but they have a longer range which nullifies our potential advantage. Their fighters are smaller than ours and although they lack our firepower they are faster and more manoeuvrable, as you have seen from footage from the battle."

"What about that flagship?" Robyn asked. "Do you have much information on that?"

"Not much," Durin admitted. "However from what we could take the vessel is known as an _Executor-class _Star Dreadnought, twenty kilometres in length and considered one of the most powerful warships within their nation's arsenal. It is easily on par with any Battleship we could field against it, and the advantage of the range of its guns means that it could best our own super Capital-ships if not within range."

"I can concur," the Space Marine, Davian Thule, nodded his head. "During Kronus it crippled a Strike Cruiser at point blank range and forced the other two to withdraw. Even in close range that ship would be a formidable opponent, more so if it has its escort around to protect it."

"And we have no idea where they will strike next." General Shafer growled. "It could be at the other side of the sector for all we know."

Silverman sighed. "Fear not gentlemen, I doubt they'll strike any Imperial held worlds again."

"How can you be sure, Lord Inquisitor?" Clay asked.

"Because each action they have undertaken until now has been with the objective of retrieving one of their ships, and from what I can tell there are no other vessels fitting their description anywhere in the Segmentum." He placed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it with a silver lighter, the insignia of the double headed eagle carved into the sides. "It would appear that they did not come here by choice."

"What proof do you have?" Jaeger asked.

"Observation my friend," Silvermane replied, taking a drag of his cigarette and breathing out the smoke. "Each time they have appeared there has been a ship belonging to them in the sector, first Kronus and now here at Topaz. They came with the objective of either reclaiming the ship or destroying it to make sure it does not fall into potential unfriendly hands."

"Then why did they help the Eldar escape Kronus?" Thule demanded.

"Perhaps the Eldar helped them and they felt obligated to repay that kindness." Silvermane replied with a frown. "Though knowing those frail fools it wouldn't have been through kindness. Think of it this way my friends a fleet enters this place with no knowledge of its surroundings besides its own experiences. The commanders of this force use these experiences to provide information on who to trust and who not to. We captured one of their ships here and exterminated the majority of its crew, how do you think they would react?"

There was silence for a moment before someone answered, and it was the Space Marine. "They would attack us."

"Exactly," Silvermane replied. "They surveyed the situation and saw that we were the potential foe. Remember gentlemen that the humans of this Galactic Alliance live in a place where they do not just live with alien peoples but cooperate with them as a full nation. They obviously come from a place considerably more peaceful than here."

"Blasphemy," Clay muttered.

"To us yes it would be blasphemy of the highest order." Silvermane agreed. "But to these humans this wouldn't be blasphemy. To those unable to see the Emperors light or hear his divine voice it would be a simple way of life, but they are unable to neither see nor hear the Emperor."

"You appear to worry about something Lord Inquisitor?"

Silvermane was silent again. "Think of it from this perspective gentlemen. From the little information we have been able to glean this Galactic Alliance contains at least a hundred thousand races, as well as an unknown amount of worlds. If this lost fleet was able to return and report on what it has seen we will be against something the Imperium has not been against in nearly ten thousand years."

"What would we be against?"

"A galactic superpower," Silvermane replied. "We are at war, have been for a long time. There are those who thirst for nothing but blood and death, others who have an unquenchable hunger. We have traitors who are even now preparing to attack us from within and without, a small xeno Empire preparing a counterattack for a failed crusade and wanderers in the Eldar who confound us at every given opportunity. Do we really need to add a potential galactic power to our list?"

"Blasphemy, you are walking a fine line here my Lord." Jaeger growled with barely restrained anger.

Silvermane turned his head, and Jaeger felt a great weight fall upon his shoulders. The Lord Inquisitors eyes were full of nothing more than cold, hard malice and the intent to kill. His intention seemed to hang in the air, making it heavy and almost suffocating to anyone but a hardened warrior. The military representatives of the council were unaffected, but the Astronomicon and Cardinal looked like they were being suffocated.

"What do you consider, Lord Inquisitor?" It was a miracle that Clay was able to keep his voice calm.

"A more interesting question is how you know so much." Jaeger added.

"As to how I know so much, well I was able to extract survivors from Topaz before the Alliance bared down on us." Silvermane looked up, ignoring some accusatory glares. "I questioned several of the five thousand survivors about this Galactic Alliance. That's how I know so much."

"You questioned aliens and didn't kill them?"

"It proved more effective than your measures, and before someone calls me a heretic I would like you all to look at this." He reached into his robes and retrieved a dataslate, casually throwing it to the Magi who caught it with a simple twist of one of his several tentacle appendages. "Within that dataslate come orders from the highest authority bar the Emperor himself."

Durin took the dataslate from his tentacle appendage and looked it over, his eye implants flashing a dull red as he read through the information in a second. It was impossible to gauge his emotions, but the one still organic piece of his anatomy, the lower half of his jaw clicked audibly and he spoke in his rustic voice. "It is true. Lord Inquisitor Silvermane has the backing of the Inquisitorial Representative, the halloed Ecclesiarch and the Fabricator-General."

"The backing of three High Lords," Cardinal Clay asked in silent awe, "And our holly Ecclesiarch!"

"It is difficult to believe, those three very rarely agree on anything."

"Yet I recognise the signatures of all three to be accurate." Durin stated, passing the dataslate to the person beside him, in this case being the Space Marine who looked it over with a calculating gaze.

"What if you're wrong?"

The Magi's face turned to Jaegers direction. "These eyes are never wrong."

"The brief by these three High Lords was simple." Silvermane stated. "Find out as much about this new force as possible, and they have given me free reign to use whatever route I see fit. Admiral Shen, I hear that this Alliance has been aiding several worlds along the fringe, worlds who would not be able to rely on a fast response from our own navy. Is this true?"

"It is my lord."

"Then this gives us an opportunity."

"What are you planning?"

Silvermane looked at the Cardinal for a long moment. "A change in strategy is all. A change of strategy to a less iron fisted approach."

"You plan on using one of these friendly worlds to draw out an Alliance response." Tobias asked, leaning forward with his arms folded across the table.

"You catch on fast." Silvermane smirked. "You're as quick witted as your father, Lord Admiral."

The new supreme commander waved off his praise. "You flatter me my lord, however I am curious as to what you plan to do once you make contact with whoever you send."

"Now that is the question gentlemen. Do we go after this Alliance with the same strategy as we have until now, or do we choose the course where discretion is the better part of valour? It is obvious these Alliance folk are not of the same stock as what we have faced before."

"What do you wish to do?"

Silvermane grinned. "Simply to speak with this fleets commander, face to face and see what he is doing here and what his plans are. I doubt he's planning a crusade, from what I have been told by the survivors they're coming here was nothing more than a freak accident. This is not the vanguard of an invasion as you believe Inquisitor Jaeger."

"You believe the words of an enemy soldier?"

"I took every precaution including having some of my finest Psykers checking him for any sign of deceit, plus my protégé is one of the finest information gatherers I have seen in many years. She missed nothing out gentlemen I can assure you."

He saw his enemies and allies immediately. Jaeger and his pet Admiral would be his main opponents. He knew that well before he entered the room. Tobias and Robyn were definitely to be his staunchest supporters. The others were harder to read. He knew he had the Mechanicus representative on his side, being as loyal to his High Lord as he was informed. The Cardinal may chose to side with Jaeger, being of an older breed whose objectives coincided with his adversary, even if it meant going against his highest authority. The Astronomicon Psyker was a wild card, as was the Space Marine who showed no favour for either side. It was Thule who could tip the scales, but the problem was that his chapter had faced the Alliance before over Kronus and came out of the skirmish worse for wear. It was probably the reason why the commander of the winning side was in attendance.

"Now gentlemen." He snapped his fingers, and several aides walked into the arena, delivering dataslates to each member of the congregation. "Listen carefully, for I will not repeat myself."

It was time to take a gamble.

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Star Wars and Warhammer are the property of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit for posting this story._

_**Author's Note 2: **__Sorry about the wait in updating the story. It took a while longer than I thought to think up a plot that would connect one of my planned pieces of the story to the other. Updates may still be slow for a while until I can get back into the updating grove._

_**Author's Note 3: **__For anyone wandering on several questions; like what the Blood Ravens are doing here, or what plans Silvermane has for the Alliance. It'll all be laid bare in the next couple of chapters. If anyone has any idea as to what should happen next feel free to tell me, but don't continuously throw canon references in my face over every tiny mistake I make._

_**Author's Note 4: **__As to the reviews I have gained on how my interpretation of a Warhammer space battle was wrong then would someone please send me how they fight a space battle. Not everyone has read this new Warhammer book which shows it in detail, until the reviews told me I had no idea it ever existed._


	25. Contact

_**Chapter 24**_

_**Contact**_

"A call for aide, you say?" Halos asked as he skipped through the report, frowning as he did so.

"Yes sir." Sor'ai replied. "It appears that the Governor-General of New Norfolk is asking for a meeting between someone of significant importance in the fleet. It appears to be on negotiations on their trade treaty."

"Negotiations on the Trade Treaty," Halos frowned as he thought it over. New Norfolk was one of their main suppliers for steel and ore, nothing spectacular and he made it abundantly clear to Governor-General Severna that it would only be until they were able to mine the ample supplies of Haven for themselves. "Our agreement with them was due to end at the beginning of next year wasn't it?"

"Yes sir." Flore replied, a frown of her own in place. "But he seemed pretty persistent to the scouting squadron leader and he promised that it would be worth our time."

"Do you think he wants to create another treaty?"

"Perhaps," she allowed. "His system is right on the fringe of the eastern territories, and he can't rely on Imperial support out there unless he'd be willing to wait for a few months."

He remembered now, it was another pirate hunting operation. He sent three Star Destroyers to aide them, and they managed to annihilate the pirates and their allies. He even remembered Captain Mynn's description of the Governor-General who was in her words a 'stuck up narcissistic asshole'. He even remembered the venom in her voice, and Captain Mynn was not easily annoyed.

Joseph sighed as he thought it over. Mynn was likely to shoot him the next time she saw him, which meant he needed someone considerably more hard skinned. "Contact the Vice-Admiral. Tell her to chose two Star Destroyers and head for the rendezvous site. Remind her to use every precaution, and I mean every precaution."

"Yes sir."

The Admiral walked around his table, dropping his report on the mahogany desk as he went. "And ask for one of the Jedi to accompany her. I think Knight Korr is serving aboard her ship at the moment."

"Yes sir." She replied, hesitated then spoke up again. "You look tired sir."

Joseph Halos almost fell into his chair, leaning heavily against it for a few moments before opening his eyes and bringing his attention back to the real world. His second in command of the _Guardian_, Captain Sor'ai Flore, was looking him over critically. She was a fine woman, perhaps one of the best commanders in the fleet, but damn her for being so insightful that she could tell a person's physical condition from just a glance.

"Am I that see through?" he asked with a little humour.

"Yes, you are." She replied as she set the last of the fleet and base reports on the table in front of him. Such an assignment should be left to an aide, but the Captain still insisted she take them to him in person. "You really are bad at hiding things when you're tired Admiral."

She smiled, but Halos was no amateur in reading people. He saw the bags under her eyes, pretty hard not to. "I could say the same for you Captain. You're swaying on your feet."

"Am I?" she asked, ever so slightly surprised.

"Let's make a deal." Halos said with a small smile. "I'll retire and get some sleep, the recommended eight hours at least, but you have to do it first."

"But I-"

"Don't make me turn it into an order Captain," he replied, though there was no hint of authority in his voice. "You've been awake twice as long as me, and if anyone is to get some sleep it is you."

She seemed ready to protest, but after a moment finally sighed and nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good, and just remember that if you return to the bridge within ten hours of me dismissing you I will know of it, and I will give the order to have you force fed sleeping pills so you do get some sleep." He looked up at her, eyes unwavering. "Is that clear?"

"Very sir." She replied, righting her posture but when she looked down at him her smirk came into play. "But the same goes for you. If when I return you demand to remain I will force feed you sleeping pills and then tie you to your bed with steel chains. Is that understood?"

She was a feisty one, he gave her that. "I'm bigger and stronger than you, Captain."

"Ah, but you forget how good us Twi'lek females are in coercing others to help us in our tasks." She replied with as much vigour.

"Isn't that in your sex appeal, Captain?"

She almost rose up to the challenge, but caught herself on. That was how tired she was, getting riled up on such a pathetic taunt. "You getting riled up on such a simple taunt in evidence enough that you are overdue for a rest Captain. Do you think I am unable to hold the fleet together without you?"

She looked hurt, physically stung by that sentiment, "Off course not sir."

"Then get some sleep." Halos stated. Sor'ai nodded her head and turned around, but before she stepped forth he called out to her. "Sor'ai."

She stopped just as the door opened.

"I wouldn't be able to run this fleet without you. You know that right?"

She turned and smiled, though it looked tired. "Yes sir, now if you'll excuse me I believe I'll take your advice."

"Ten hours at least Captain." He reminded.

"Yes sir." She replied before the door closed behind her.

Was it in her race? Twi'lek females were known to be hard working and obedient, if a little cunning and seductive at times. No, it wasn't. He never believed in such racist twaddle. Sor'ai was Sor'ai. She was hard working and determined in her job, determined to show those who thought that way how wrong they really were. The girl before him could probably make a Vice-Admiral or even Admiral if she didn't have the bad luck of volunteering for this assignment.

Well, even if she didn't know it she was third in command of the fleet, but if he and Rosso died then she would know. With the transfer of flagship status she would know. Gabriel sighed again, shaking the morbid thoughts from his head before picking up the first new report and looking it over.

* * *

New Haven, the capital and to date only major settlement of the Alliances safe world had expanded considerably thanks to the colonisation, what was once a small cluster of hovels and dwellings had evolved into a civilised town within a matter of months. At the centre of the settlement was the mobile fortress, standing several storeys above the tallest outer building, its main entrances being the conduits for four major streets to allow for the quick and efficient movement for the military bases contingent of All Terrain walkers.

Buildings surrounded the structure ranging from a single storey in height to three and in some cases even four storeys. The largest buildings were centred around the fortress, whose wall towered over them still, and the rest of the settlement was carefully planned out in rings. The central ring housed the main governmental buildings of the settlement including a civilian parliament, police headquarters, court house, jail and security centre and a now flourishing trade and shopping district, beyond that in the next ring were residential houses for the some eight hundred thousand residents, ranging from apartment blocks ranging from four storeys to ten and whole sectors of single and double storey housing for families.

An outer wall surrounded the city, protecting its residents from the local wildlife as well as providing a defensive barrier against any invasion force that could appear. A deflector shield was set up to protect the settlement from orbital bombardment, its headquarters located within the heavily fortified fortress.

Gabriel Sabbath looked at this impressive sight from his vantage point at the top of one of the mountains overlooking the valley. He took a deep breath, allowing the cool, crisp air to enter his lungs before releasing it again. He then looked down, noting that his apprentice and Rachi's were still about fifty meters from his vantage point at the top.

They were taking their time, considering he had been waiting for about an hour for them to catch up to him. Sighing the Jedi lay down at the summit and looked up at the beautiful clear blue sky, watching as thin wisps of white cloud floated by overhead. It was so peaceful here, something that he needed after witnessing the horror of Topaz a few months ago. Out of the two thousand survivors some had been medically cleared and returned to active duty, others were still being treated, their wounds not being physical but mental.

The failure to capture the _Independence _and the loss of the _Dauntless _were also bitter blows to the Alliance fleet. Their recent battles had given them a sense of immortality and invincibility, something that even he admitted he was feeling. These had been ruthlessly crushed by the battle of Topaz. The horrors they uncovered and the losses they suffered hit home that they had been lucky until now, and luck could not hold forever.

There was some good news though, now that all of their fleet was accounted for they no longer had a need to confront the Imperium of Man, meaning that they could now use their advantages to steer clear of any looming conflict. Their only obligation now was to act as allies to the worlds they befriended, not to go looking for a fight against the dominant power in the galaxy.

He heard a soft thud, and opened his eyes to see that Alana was the first to make it up to the summit of the mountain, looking tired and winded by the endeavour but satisfied that she had completed the climb. He was not surprised she was the first, being younger and fitter out of the two apprentices. He gave Marie credit though, for she used a force augmented jump to scale the last few meters, landing on her feet before crumbling to her knees, panting and sweating, but like Alana satisfied with her performance.

He sat up and smiled slightly. "Well done you two. We'll take a half hour break before climbing down again."

Alana crumbled then, falling onto her back and taking in whole gulps of air. "You're trying... to kill us... I know it."

"Stop whining," Gabriel chided playfully. "My master threw me out into the swamps of Degobah and left me to my own devices for two months. That was no picnic I can assure you."

"You say that... like we know about this... Degobah." Marie managed between gulps of air.

"Let's just say that the sun rarely shines and there are creatures there that could trample you underfoot." Gabriel replied with a grin before falling on his back and relaxing. "Your master spent a month alone on the ice fields of Hoth, by her own volition if I remember, and that is much worse than the swamps."

"Jedi are scary." Alana muttered flatly.

Marie just nodded in silent agreement before a thought hit here. "Where is Master Sitra?"

"Quality time," Gabriel said simply.

"With a Spec Colonel," Alana finished slyly, ignoring the look her master sent her way. "He must be really good, really lights her fire."

"Alana!" Marie scolded lightly.

"Teenagers," Gabriel muttered with a sigh. "Take notes Marie. Your child may get interested in this stuff by Alana's age."

* * *

It was so peaceful here. Rachi sat on the balcony of the barracks, looking out over the hustling city garbed in nothing more than a nightgown. It was early morning and the rush had started, shops were opening, people were going to work and the trickle of life in this new born settlement slowly amplified to a flood.

The Twi'lek Jedi master took it all in, flowing with the force and feeling the energies of life as they flowed over her, calming her spirit and soul. The sliding door behind her opened and closed without her knowledge, a cup of steaming caf was placed on the table in front of her but it was the blanket placed over her slender shoulders which brought her out of her trance.

She awoke with a start, but leaned back and pulled the blanket over herself before raising her head to flash a thankful smile to the man who covered her from the chill. A gentle kiss was placed on her forehead as Chance took a seat beside her, his own cup of caf settled in his hands. He flashed a smirk before taking a long drink.

She had never felt safer than when she was with Chance, except maybe with Gabriel and the other Jedi, but with Chance it was the first time she felt completely safe around someone who was not force sensitive. That night when he promised her he would protect her she felt the force sing to her, and knew he meant every word. He would protect her with his life, would dive into hell itself for her.

And she would do exactly the same for him.

Their relationship hadn't remained secret for long. Gabriel and the others knew about the same time Chances SpecForce unit knew. His relation to his team was as close as a pack of brothers, exactly the same as her companions were her brothers and sisters to her. Both could pick out the slightest change in their character, like how she seemed to be glowing, humming happily without her realising, or when Chance started whistling randomly, laughed more and vanishing every now and then to go and see her.

"Spacing out again?" He asked wryly.

She nodded, slightly flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry."

"I swear, if I wasn't here you'd be doing that all the time." He chastised playfully as he set the cup on the table and giving her a hungry look. It was the same look he had when he lowered her on the bed, when he placed butterfly soft kisses from her thighs up to her jaw, when his mouth locked with hers in a passionate kiss, or when he-

A hand pressed softly against her forehead, startling her. "You look flushed, not catching a cold are you."

She flushed more, shaking her head to say no. Her twin tails flailing. "No, no, I'm fine... just thinking."

"Oh," he smirked, catching on. "What an insatiable girl you are."

Steam would be coming out of her ears if it could. "You're teasing me."

"Because you're so beautiful when you're flustered." He replied, leaning in close to her ear to give it a playful nibble before a whisper. "And I like you flustered, lady Jedi."

Was there such a thing as getting heat stroke when it wasn't all that warm?

* * *

Two lightsabers came together and locked. The continuous thrum of their joining the only thing the two combatants could hear. They had been locked in combat for a little over forty minutes or so and although both of them were tired neither was willing to back down until a victor was decided.

Dani broke the stalemate, batting the azure lightsaber away from her and surging forward, her own blade stabbing out in an attempt to impale her opponent. In response Gabrielle sidestepped and brought her own down to parry, once again ending the quick exchange in a stalemate, both women pushing all of their weight into their weapons to try and unbalance the other.

"You're really... improving Gab." Dani managed through a grunt of exertion.

"You think so," Gabrielle replied with a tired smirk. "I still haven't beaten you in a duel yet."

The two broke apart, each one implementing a force augmented jump to get a safe distance from each other. The moment they both skidded to a halt they were moving again, circling each other, keen eyes trying to find a weakness in their opponent's defences. Gabrielle rushed in, performing a flip over Dani as she raised her own blade to defend, but it was a feint as the Zeltron spun around, blocking the strike and countering with a slash, which was parried, then a stab, which was parried.

Dani didn't let up, surging forward with quick precise strikes as she fell into the Shii-Cho stance, using her lithe body to perform spins and quick lightning fast strikes of her lightsaber. Gabrielle was immediately forced to backpedal several steps before she unconsciously implemented the defensive Soresu stance, bending her knees and parrying Dani's strikes with precision born from years of practise.

Dani was not stopped though, she moved fluently, spinning around Gabrielle's form until the two of them were back to back, Gabrielle visibly surprised while Dani offered nothing more than a serene smile. She fell into a crouch when Gabrielle attempted a wide swing and with a leg sweep took her friends feet out from under her.

The brunette hit the ground with a gasp, lightsaber ripped from her grasp and thrown just out of reach. Dani was on her before she could recover, straddling her arms with her knees before placing the extinguished hilt of her lightsaber to just under her jaw, serene smile still in place.

"I win Gab."

"Sith," Gabrielle cursed lightly as Dani rolled off of her and helped her to her feet.

"You are improving," her friend offered.

"I know," she replied with a tired sigh. "Just not fast enough."

"Patience is as important as anything." Dani replied as she clipped her lightsaber to her belt before calling Gabrielle's to her with the force and tossing it to the brunette. "Remember that you never took lightsaber training seriously while in the academy. You were always busy honing your psychic talents, and while you are one of the strongest of us in that field you let your combat training suffer."

"Yeah, I only began taking it seriously after Kronus." She muttered, irritated with herself.

"Don't worry," Dani laughed as she walked towards the small basket at the edge of the clearing. "I'll get you back up to scratch."

Gabrielle's featured softened. "Thank you Dani."

"What are friends for?" she asked with a smirk.

"Embarrassing me to no end?"

"Nope that's just me." Dani laughed as she opened the basket and fished out a couple of bottles of water. She then looked up and sighed. "Hossk stop reading your pad and get down here!"

The Bothan looked down from his perch on a thick branch of the adjacent tree, a datapad held idly in his hand which he was obviously reading very intently just a few seconds ago. "I'm more than happy up here Dani!"

"You're not working up there are you?"

"No."

"Liar," she murmured.

Hossk visibly sighed as he looked back down. "I am not lying."

"Then let me see," she cooed as she jumped up with a force propelled jump, landing in a crouch with a mischievous smirk.

"No." He replied, turning off the datapad with a thought before Dani could move. It didn't stop her though and with a pounce she was on him, hands grasping for the pad. "Uh, Dani... can you be any more childish!"

"Only to you," she chided playfully.

Gabrielle sighed as she walked up to the trunk and leaned against the bark, folding her arms as she looked up at the scuffle. "I wonder how Yoda or Obi-wan Kenobi would think if they saw this."

The idea made her laugh.

* * *

It was quiet.

Good.

It meant that they hadn't found this place yet.

The ruins were located deep within a valley, a mass of decaying remains of an old settlement perhaps tens of thousands of years old. Its remains were definitely of Eldar design; wraithbone constructs which had long since withered to the test of time. It was only natural, Eldar design maybe but even their races finely made constructs withered to the elements without the Bonesingers to protect them.

Kaleen looked up at the early morning sun and grinned. They would not make a move until nightfall, and then the fun would begin. A single settlement full of hundreds of thousands of oblivious, ugly, stupid humans would feel the bone chilling laughter and ghostly quick blades of her dark kin. They would remember the fear that came with this galaxy, the foes they face. They would tremble, they would cry, they would scream and they would die.

Another squadron of Reaver Jetbikes exploded from the ancient webway, engines humming and wind howling as they blazed a trail overhead. Kaleen sighed happily before placing her helm over her head and performing last minute checks of her splinter rifle. All around her was an encirclement of her Dark Eldar kin, fully garbed in their armour, looking every bit the monsters they wanted to look, splinter rifles and wicked blades ready to wound, torture and kill.

Nearly three hundred of her kin had already arrived, and they were safe to discovery thanks to the dampening field one of their capital-ships was sending down from orbit. The fleet, as strange as they looked, didn't even sense their approach, meaning that they were just as useless as the Imperial humans. More were coming, columns of Warriors with Wyches, Incubi and even a handful of Mandrakes leading them continued to pour through the forgotten gateway.

By the time of their attack their number would reach to near two thousand, more than enough to raid that city and take the slaves that her master wanted. He would even be leading them in person this time. At the front of the attack on his barge with his prized slaves chained to his throne.

It would be glorious.

* * *

They were as ready as they would ever be. Robyn knew this from the marrow in her bones. The star system had been contacted, the show of force by the arrival of the fleet let them know that they would not take no for an answer. The Governor-General had sent out one of his best aides, a man who he had explained had, the best poker face in the system, to send the message to their new allies.

Just the memory of that gluttonous, lecherous old man made her blood run cold. How he had become the Governor-General of an Imperial colony she would never know. There was no real worry about him now anyway. Her master had thanked him for his service before briskly drawing one of his bold pistols and turning his head into a red paste which she guessed the servants were even now trying to clean from the walls.

Her master's voice broke her from her thoughts. He was speaking to the Lord Admiral just ten meters in front of her, strategising and sending ideas on how to deal with the situation back and forth. It was obvious that they were going to choose a diplomatic method with dealing with this Galactic Alliance. Her master had even transferred the five thousand survivors from the _Right to Rule _to the _Royal Oak _to use as the perfect bargaining tool to make the representative of this small force more agreeable.

They weren't the only ones of the interim council here, and Vallace looked around in time to see the Blood Ravens Captain, Thule, standing tall and proud about two meters to her left, fully bedecked in his plated ceramic armour minus the helm. At least four Space Marines of his chapter were with him, two flanking his sides and another two joining the marines on guard duty just outside the main entrance to the command deck.

He was as still as a statue, yet she knew he was as deadly as anything in the galaxy. Space Marines were born and bred for a single purpose; to protect the Imperium of Man from the fiercest of her enemies and erase them from the face of the universe.

She knew that the Lord Inquisitor wanted to make this transaction as bloodless and peaceful as possible, but using the flagship of the fleet to do it seemed a little too grandeur for her taste. The _Right to Rule _would have been far more agreeable. So would a Frigate now that she thought of it. The idea was to make them as non-threatening as possible.

Using a battleship for that seemed a little over the top.

Yet she knew how her master felt. Ten thousand years of dealing with hostile forces who shot first and asked questions, if any, later was something the Imperium of Man seemed to expect in this day and age. Placing the _Royal Oak _alone in the middle of deep space would be considered rather risky, especially if the Alliance sent their flagship and a small taskforce of pickets. Robyn didn't know how a battleship of this calibre would stand up to their _Guardian_ and she didn't want to find out.

"We have a contact!"

Immediately Robyn looked through the viewscreen, expecting to see one of their small _Star Destroyers _appearing within viewing distance of their craft, but she didn't see any. There was a moment of tense silence within the bridge of the battleship as the crew and visitors waited for a visual.

Then a visual came up from one of the main tablets surrounding the command deck, they crackled and fizzled to life one after the other, revealing not a warship but what looked like a quartet of small craft. They were nimble looking creations, and quite fragile she thought. The small vessels reminded her of ancient satellites, a ball shaped centre branching out to what looked like two strangely designed solar panels.

"TIE Interceptors," she muttered, recognising the designs from what the saved survivors had told the interrogators.

"Battle stations!" someone yelled.

"Shields up;"

"Bring anti-fighter batteries online."

"Belay that," Silvermane roared just after the last man finished. "Cancel battle stations, shields down to minimum, put batteries offline and send out the message on all frequencies!"

"But sir-"

"If we make an aggressive move then they will scatter and their mother-ships will retreat," he snarled with supreme annoyance. "I will not have this one chance jeopardised by some fool who can't read the mission dossier!"

"Y-yes sir."

"Finally someone listens," he growled before looking at the four small fighters as they continued to advance. It wouldn't be long until they came within close range of his ship, and it would be quite soon after that they will realise this was not the vessel they were expecting. "Broadcast my message on all channels!"

"Yes Lord Inquisitor, it will be done immediately."

"Step to it then."

Robyn was right beside him, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence; "Something on your mind, Robyn?"

That was fast. "Worry is all sir. We're not sure if they'll even listen to us."

"Indeed," Silvermane agreed. "With everything that has happened between us the chances of them even hearing us out is less than thirty percent. However I'd like to think that they are more optimistic than what my strategists think they are."

Before she could even reply to the statement the channels came alive with an almost deafening tone of static, then her teacher's voice resounded through every channel with a single message. _"To the forces of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances-"_

* * *

"_To the forces of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, this is Lord Inquisitor William Silvermane, appointed representative of the highest authority of the Imperium of Mankind, the High Lords of Terra. I am here by their will to open a dialogue with the commander-in-chief of the GFFA and to understand what you're objectives are concerning us at this time. We do not expect you to trust us, but in the essence of goodwill we are willing to return to you five thousand prisoners of war in exchange for a meeting with your senior commanders. We await your response."_

"Sounds like a trap."

"Mm,"

"It definitely sounds like a trap."

"Mm,"

"Smoking's not healthy for you, Vice-admiral."

"What are you my mother?"

First Officer Marcus Delgado sighed as he turned his head to look at his commanding officer. Gabrielle Rosso was quite the woman, just reaching thirty years old yet still looking in appearance like a woman five years younger. Her long vibrant crimson hair was tied up in a ponytail which reached just past her shoulders, skin as pale a snow showing that she had spent most of her life in space and piercing emerald eyes which had a fire in them that could challenge a sun.

She was a strict and pushy woman, and in command that was a good thing. His only real problem with her was that she was a chronic smoker, and she cared little for the present smoking regulations. A cigarette, recently lit, was in her mouth as she took a long hard drag, picked it with her slender hand and breathed the smoke into the atmosphere of the command deck. It was actually easy to determine her mood though. She usually smoked when she was angry, nervous or downright upset, but she also smoked when she was in the middle of a tense situation.

Like this one, for example.

He sighed, quite used to her personality. "No ma'am, I am not your mother."

"Good to hear."

He sighed again. "What are you planning to do?"

She thought for a moment, smoke flowing from her mouth. "Contact the Admiral on the long range scrambler, inform him of the situation and ask for advice on the issue."

"It's a trap."

"Quit it with the Admiral Ackbar, will you." She huffed.

"It's because he was usually right in his career." Delgado replied deadpan.

"And has my womanly intuition ever been wrong?"

Marcus sighed. "No, Ma'am. This could be a new strategy though."

As much as it pained him to say it her womanly intuition had never been wrong, not once. "I'm aware of that, but they haven't attacked any of our fighters yet so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt."

"Yes ma'am."

"Plus," she replied but did not continue.

"Plus?"

"We can contact them from here," she replied slyly. "And we can move around while we do it."

Ah, that was what she was planning to do. The Vice-Admiral had no intention of meeting them one on one without approval from the highest authority, but she didn't say that they couldn't contact these supposed peaceful people. Even as he thought this through she had asked for the main channel to them to be opened and after taking a deep breath began to speak.

"_To the Imperial vessel, this is Gabrielle Rosso, Vice Admiral and second-in-command of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances and commander of operations in this area. State your business with us and we will listen."_

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **__Star Wars and Warhammer are the properties of Lucas Arts and Games Workshop respectively. I make no profit from posting this story._

_**Author's Note 2: **__There wasn't much action in this update, but this is mostly a character and story development chapter, with promise of action to come. Just so you know my Dark Eldar codex is only the second edition, and the nearest shop is eighty miles away so I can't just jump into my car and get it, especially with the price of petrol these days. Plus the shop assistants are a little too clingy in those shops for my liking. They're right on you like a hive of bees you recently kicked, even when you're feeling anti-social._

_**Author's Note 3: **__Sorry to everyone about the lack of updates, but the new Evangelion 2:22 movie has recently come out, as well as me getting reacquainted with Halo Reach, Dragon Age 2 and Homefront. After watching the new Evangelion I can say with certainty that it is several levels better than its predecessor, I had goose bumps throughout the film and I am eagerly waiting __**impatiently **__for them to finish and publish the third film. I'm even willing to break copyright laws and watch it with amateur subs on the internet (god bless its creation) when it comes out._

_Anyway, hope you enjoyed the new chapter._


	26. Negotiations

_**Chapter 25**_

_**Negotiations**_

The planet chosen for the meeting was considered neutral ground by both sides, just discovered by the Alliance a month ago and unknown to the Imperium until the coordinates was given the world didn't even have a name, simply a long reference number for any future star charts. It was a planet of a single continent, surrounded by a vast open ocean, its centre dominated by a desert wasteland, surrounded by vast plains of grassland and thick brushes of jungle.

The place for the meeting was situated on a long stretch of grassland, a plateau. Perched on opposite ends were the transports utilised by both sides. On one end was a _Lambda-class _shuttle, wings folded and immobile. On the other was the bulky form of a _Valkyrie-class _Gunship. Surrounding both vehicles were guards, both Alliance and Imperium, all of them tense. In the air were a trio of X-wings, slowly circling around the plateau, a move which was being mirrored by a trio of Imperial jet fighters, their larger atmospheric carrier not far off.

The tent was agreed upon by both sides, the Alliance supplied the tent while the Imperium supplied the furniture. Both sides were allowed a maximum of one chief negotiator, an advisor and no more than two guards.

"It seems you've had a rough time here, Admiral."

"That is putting it mildly, yes."

Halos studied the man closely, but Lord Inquisitor Silvermane was a difficult man to read, tall and old, he held the air of a person with serious authority and experience. His advisor was the complete opposite, a youngish woman dressed in black, introduced simply as Vallace. His two guards were well equipped and dressed in black armour, chips and burn marks worn like badges of honour, completely different from the gleaming and well kept armour of his own marines.

"I apologise in advance, however with the enemies we have accumulated you must understand that we have learned long ago that shooting first and asking questions later is usually the most prudent response." The Lord Inquisitor clasped his hands together as he spoke. "The few times we did open up negotiations with another power very rarely ended well."

"So that gave your forces the right to open fire on my vessels without warning, to massacre thousands on a whim?" Halos asked measurably. "Everywhere we have gone we have found ourselves on the business end of a weapon, Lord Inquisitor, a weapon which was usually held by your own forces. My Captains have strongly urged me that allowing this meeting was a terrible mistake."

"Then why did you decide to attend?"

"I wonder that myself, advice from a good friend."

"The events which transpired on Topaz were unfortunate, and believe me Admiral the commanding officer has met his ultimate fate." Silvermane said. "I understand your reluctance to trust anything we might say, however I believe we may be able to see eye to eye."

"Oh and how is that?"

"During the battle I was able to infiltrate several of my own agents into the hierarchy of the defenders. These agents were able to hijack a transport, a transport carrying a few thousand Alliance prisoners." Halos eyes widened ever so slightly, the expression was quickly schooled, but it did not go unnoticed by the ancient Inquisitor. "They are in reasonable health, although my medical teams are unfamiliar with the biology of some so cannot say this with absolute certainty."

The Admiral was silent for a moment, deep in thought. "What do you want in exchange for these prisoners?"

"Right to the point, I like that." Silvermane leaned back in his chair, hands clasped on the table as he looked Halos directly in the eye. "I am willing to return these prisoners to you Admiral, as a goodwill gesture and to initiate negotiations with your side. However I must ask you certain questions, and if I am happy with the answers then the prisoners will be returned. You must answer me truthfully and honestly, and please do not lie Admiral, for I will see through it immediately."

"I see," Halos replied slowly, turning his attention to his own advisor, Jaden Korr looked right back, the same look of trepidation on his features. "It will depend on the questions. You understand that there will be certain things which must be kept secret."

"The questions I will ask do not concern your Alliances secrets, but mostly basic _information_."

"Then I will answer as best I can."

"Why are you here, Admiral? What is your purpose?" Silvermane began. "There are many amongst the higher echelons of the Imperium who believe your force is the precursor to an invasion of our soil. That your actions to date is evidence to the vanguard of something much bigger, your actions on Kronus and the sightings of scouts in centres of strength across the region, outposts, dockyards, naval and military facilities seem to strengthen this opinion."

"I see." Halos allowed. "I suppose from the perspective of the outside looking in that would be what we were trying to do, but you needn't worry, our goals are not what your superiors expect."

"Please go on."

"The purpose of our scouting is more to find places to steer clear off rather than targets of attack. As for the events on Kronus we simply found ourselves at the right place at the wrong time. Our goal there was not to take Kronus but to link up with a lost vessel of our fleet." The Admiral assured. "You see the events which brought us here were not planned. We were testing a new method of faster than light travel which went wrong, and so we came to be here."

"A new method of faster than light travel," Silvermane pondered. He knew that the Alliance used technology far different to their own in faster than light travel, they did not seem to utilise the warp as they did. From what little he knew the methods of this Alliance was faster and more stable than their own. "I suppose you can tell me no more on the issue."

"You would be correct." Halos replied smoothly. "My fleet found ourselves in uncharted space with several vessels missing, at the time presumed destroyed during the accident. The early sightings were simply us mapping out the surrounding star systems, trying to find any signs of civilisation and, if we did, determine whether they would be friendly enough for us to initiate first contact."

"And Kronus?"

"We gained information that one of our vessels was there, and our fleet was sent to take it back. Our actions on Kronus were because of a lack of knowledge, and also mainly on gut instinct. Your vessels threatened and fired on us, so we threatened and fired back. We gained some help from the Eldar in exchange for helping them destroy the Necron threat."

"So it was your forces that aided in the escape of Farseer Taldeer," Silvermane stated, a little accusation in his ancient voice.

The Admiral shrugged, "We figured that since the Eldar had helped us before it was only right to return the favour."

"And have you been keeping contact with the Eldar since?"

The Alliance commander's eyes narrowed, "Our relationships with other nations would be considered confidential."

"Off course," the Inquisitor allowed a small smile. "My apologies, you are correct."

The old man turned to his associate, who after a moment of hesitation nodded her head.

"Is the interrogation over?" Jaden asked, looking to the Admiral with a thoughtful frown. Although the information he had given was negligible it still seemed like he was putting too much trust into the Lord Inquisitor far too early for his liking.

The Lord Inquisitor did not respond right away, turning his head to look the Jedi Knight in the eye. "Yes, young one, the _interrogation_ is indeed over. Robyn my dear can you get in touch with the transport and have it dock with their vessel."

"Jaden, contact the _Guardian _and inform them that an Imperial vessel will be inbound, it is full of Alliance personnel. Have medical teams and security standby, and do not initiate any hostilities with the crew." Halos ordered, watching as the Jedi Knight nodded and reached for his comlink.

"Thank you for being truthful, Admiral." Silvermane said simply, smiling. "As promised your people will be returned to you, and there will be no surprises on the transport. I only ask that the crew be allowed to leave unharmed."

"Off course, once the prisoners have been unloaded the transport will be allowed to leave unhindered. They will be placed under constant guard by our security details, is that understood."

"Completely," the Inquisitor replied with a nod before turning back to his advisor. "Please, relay that information to the crew."

"Off course, my lord," Vallace replied before relaying the information.

"Now that the nagging little details are out of the way we can get onto business." Silvermane reached into the folds of his robes and procured a dataslate, turning it on and inputting the password before handing it to the Admiral. Halos raised a brow as he took the device, noticing that the information was in Imperial script.

"I am afraid I am not literate in Imperial languages, Lord Inquisitor." Halos said wryly, handing the device back.

"I apologise." Silvermane replied, immediately realising his mistake. "I am offering your people an agreement, signed for by the Fabricator General of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Inquisitorial Representative of the Inquisition and the Master of the Administratum, all members of the highest council in the Imperium of Man, the High Lords of Terra. These are the men I represent."

"What are they asking of us?" If Halos was right in his assertion then the representatives this man spoke off carried the same authority as the Interior Cabinet of the Chief of State, some of the most important and powerful individuals in the Galactic Alliance.

"Within this dataslate is an official pardon for all aggressive actions partaken against us by your own forces." Silvermane explained. "It also lists a set of terms and conditions. I can have it translated into your own language, although I think it will mean officers from both our forces working together."

"I will like to have these translated," The Admiral nodded, turning to Jaden to see his advisor allow a small smile and a nod. The orders had been relayed and acknowledged. He turned to see the Lord Inquisitors own advisor leaning forward, whispering into her superiors ear, most likely the same thing Jaden was noting to him. He had faith in Captain Flore to see to it that nothing happened, but what about her Imperial opposite?

"And copies will be sent to your people," Silvermane placated. "Would you like me to give you the basics?"

Halos nodded.

"The agreement states that the ships and personnel of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances are hereby pardoned forthwith from any past aggressive action made against the Imperium of Mankind, her vassals, allies and subjects. The ships and personnel of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances are hereby to be given Letters of Marque, allowing them free movement and independence in Imperial territory so long as they continue to aide Imperial worlds in matters of defence and piracy. That is the basic terms of the agreement." Silvermane spoke these words with surety, eyes closed as he explained. "In basic terms it means that you and your people can continue doing what until recently you have been doing, except without the need to look over your shoulders for our own forces."

"You're giving us free reign?" Halos asked, eyes narrowing and brow furrowed as he attempted to make sense of the situation. "You're allowing us complete freedom of movement?"

"But off course, although there are conditions to this." Silvermane allowed.

"Why would you give us such freedom?"

"For starters those I represent truly believe your story, that you are simply a lost fleet who wishes nothing more than to return home." Silvermane began. "You understand that what they are doing is considered an incredible risk, with our own culture and opinion on first contacts. They simply wish to deal with you quietly, hopefully send you home and permanently close the Pandora's Box before it can ever be fully opened."

"Close the Pandora's Box?" Halos asked, frowning.

"We could just hunt you down and destroy you, which would be the easiest option I will admit." Silvermane said, noticing the soldiers behind Halos tense, and a sudden glint in his advisors eye. He knew for a fact this man, dressed in flowing brown robes, was not a simple advisor. "However the ones I represent are thinking ahead of time. What if a much larger force comes looking for you? What if they find us? We were able to gain some information from that disaster on Topaz Admiral, mainly from what information the interrogations supplied."

Halos remained silent, waiting for Silvermane to continue.

"An Alliance of several hundred thousand nations and worlds all united together, humans and aliens who have worked and lived together through thousands of years." Silvermane stated simply, eyes sharp and focused. "The Imperium of Mankind has no wish to begin a war with such a power, especially with what we are dealing with at the moment."

The problems facing the Imperium were many and numerous, whole sectors seceding in civil war, whispers from the Eye of Terror of a new Crusade by the Forces of Chaos, an insatiable hunger was slowly encroaching from the Segmentum Ultima, Orks rising on dozens of worlds. Yes, the Imperium can handle all of that; it has done so for countless millennia, but to suddenly be in the eye of another galactic nation, to have to fight a force which could raise an army and navy which would match theirs, there were many who wished for such a conflict, but there were some, including those he represented, who did not. They may win such a war, but to fight and defeat such a force could potentially cripple the Imperium.

Then there was the potential social mayhem of knowing of such a place existed. Humans and xenos living and working together would cause anarchy, chaos and civil unrest. The masses would cry out to make the humans of that nation see that what they were doing was sinful, a heresy against the Imperium and the Emperor of Mankind. There would be demand for a grand crusade which would dwarf everything else in history since the great wars of the Horus Herest ten thousand years before. Attention would be firmly on that and not to more pressing threats.

Silvermane knew the Imperial hierarchy, he knew how the Imperium of Mankind operated, and while a great Crusade to bring enlightenment to heathen humans from another galaxy was a grand and noble ideal, it was also something they could not afford to do. He was a realist, and the forces of Chaos were coming, their whispers in the warp grew stronger with each passing day. The Thirteenth Black Crusade was coming, and with all of their forces held up in another galaxy, far from home and fighting a nation which rivalled their own. This was a recipe for annihilation.

"We await your decision, Admiral." He said at last. "We will send our own officers to reconnoitre with yours, translate the information and give me your response."

"We will, and thank you for bringing my people home."

Silvermane was surprised, although he didn't let it show. The man thanked him for returning his people to him, something which no Imperial commanders would ever do. This man had fought wars, but he had fought wars that ended and he still felt a need to care for his people, his crews. It was an admirable quality, something which Silvermane knew the Imperium had lost. It was also a weakness which could be exploited.

"You are welcome, Admiral." Silvermane allowed. "How long do you need?"

"Just a few days," Halos replied. "We'll remain in position over the planet, if you would like to do the same."

"We will." Silvermane replied, before a sudden thought hit him. "Perhaps we can use this time to understand each other better, Admiral."

"What are you proposing?"

"Just a temporary exchange of personnel, perhaps my own advisor with your own," the Lord Inquisitor replied. "Consider it another gesture of faith, for the duration of these negotiations Inquisitor Vallace will remain on your vessel, under guard off course, to better understand your alliance. At the same time your own advisor will accompany me aboard the _Royal Oak_, learning more about our own people and culture."

"A cultural exchange?" Halos asked.

"Why not, as you said we will remain here for the duration of the negotiations," The Lord Inquisitor smiled what he hoped was a disarming smile. "Why not try to understand each other better, if not as allies then as temporary partners until you and your people are able to return home."

Halos frowned, turning to Jaden. "What is your opinion of this?"

Jaden looked slightly confused by this, "It is your choice Admiral."

"Don't give me that, Master Sabbath would have my head if I did something like this without your permission, and I consider council from a Jedi to be as good as that from my most trusted military advisors. What is your opinion?"

So this one was what is called a Jedi, Silvermane realised, although he had already given away information himself by calling Robyn an Inquisitor. It interested him however, were these Jedi similar to the Inquisition, or something else entirely. The Lord Inquisitor admitted that he was deeply intrigued.

The Jedi, Jaden, took a breath and looked right into Silvermane's eyes for a long moment. The Lord Inquisitor felt something then, something foreign but not entirely welcome, the warp, no, something else. This intrigued him even more. The Jedi broke eye contact after several seconds before turning back to the Admiral. "I will agree to such an exchange, but only if the agreement is mutual."

"Robyn?"

The woman with raven hair looked to her superior for several moments, and then her eyes turned and locked with those of the Admiral. Finally after several tense moments she turned back to her superior and flashed a nervous, but trusting smile. "Sure, could be fun."

"Very well," Silvermane rose from his chair, followed by Halos a moment later, "How about a leap of faith, Admiral?"

The two of them shook hands, deal completed, "A leap of faith sounds good, Lord Inquisitor."

* * *

They were ready.

Razorwing Jetfighters screamed as they soared overhead, circling around the assembly grounds like a flock of hungry carrion birds ready to strike, twin contrails of flame from their rear engines leaving thin trails of black smoke in the low light.

On the high hills surrounding the flat land were groups of Reaver Jetbikes and light transport Venoms, the thrum of their engines filled the air in the absence of the nightmarish screams of their aerial support. Within the natural protection of the small valley were ranks of Kabalite warriors, armed with splinter weapons and black armour gleaming. Wyches huddled in circles and Hellions dismounted from their skyboards, beastmasters keeping their own hordes of flesh eating alien beasts under tight control, waiting for the bloodletting to begin.

They were ready.

All they required was the arrival of their master.

The portal of the dark webway flickered and sparked, and finally he arrived. The Archon arrived at the stem of a sleek Ravager gunship, long black cloak billowing like a writhing shadow behind him as he exited the webway. Behind him on the deck were a unit of elite Incubi warriors, his own personal guard, standing to attention yet ready for anything.

The Ravager finally exited the webway, yet the gate did not close, for its purpose was not yet complete. Another crackle of energy signalled the arrival of another Ravager, then another, followed close behind by smaller but no less deadly forms of heavily armoured Raiders. The anti-grav war machines settled on solid ground, and the small army of elite Dark Eldar crack troops boarded without hesitation.

Kabalites, Wyches and groups of mercenary Mandrakes boarded the vessels as Hellions threw their skyboards before them and took to the skies with shouts and whoops of bloodthirsty glee. Their roars of ecstasy were soon drowned out by the howls of Jetbikes as the surrounding horde gunned the throttle and exploded into life.

Standing on the bow of his lead Ravager, Archon Deathstrike pulled his lips back into a feral smile of razor sharp teeth as he raised his war helm and placed it over his head, ancient sensors activating. He placed his hand on the smooth hilt of his Huskblade, most prized of his weapons, a spoil of war taken when he defeated and killed the last Archon of the Kabal of the Dead Sun, _his _Kabal.

"Kaleen," he said simply, rasping voice barely heard over the thrum of the great gunships engines.

"My Lord," the Wych appeared kneeling behind him, head bowed.

"Order the advance."

"It will be done."

* * *

"Letters of Marque?"

"That is what he is proposing to us," Halos nodded as he sat on the command chair of the shuttle, cup of caff in hand as he looked at the small blue hued figures of Vice-Admiral Rosso, Captain Flare , Captain Blue and Jedi Master Sabbath, though the Masters slightly distorted image showed his location in the wilderness of their haven world. "In essence he is proposing that we be granted a full pardon and, for the duration of our stay, continue on as we have until now."

"Continue as we have?" Rosso frowned noticeably even with her small stature.

"Continue to operate in the region as a scouting and anti-piracy defence, though if there are any serious threats in the region we are to report it to the central naval hub." The Admiral explained as he took a sip of his caff. "Other than that they have promised us complete independence so long as our actions don't bring us into confrontation with their forces."

"Do you believe this?" Flare asked.

Halos shrugged, "Everything seems fairly legitimate, though I will withhold my assertion until the documents have been fully translated and read over."

"So how long do you believe the negotiations will last, Admiral?" Gabriel asked.

"A couple of days, a week tops." Halos replied. "Rosso I want your taskforce to remain near the star system, but keep changing your position in case this is a ploy. I don't want my ships backup to be blindsided. Until these negotiations come to an end Master Sabbath and Captain Blue are in charge of our forces and the protection of Haven."

"Yes, Admiral." They all said in unison, Rosso, Blue and Flare saluting while the Jedi master nodded.

"I also want your personal opinion Master Sabbath," The Admiral continued. "The lead negotiator has proposed a sort of cultural exchange between our two forces, and Jedi Knight Korr has volunteered."

"How trustworthy would you say this representative is?"

Joseph Halos was silent for a moment, "I believe he is a man who keeps his word."

"I have complete faith in Korr's abilities and judge of character. If he agrees with this exchange then I have no issue with the matter." Sabbath replied.

"Understood, I will inform Jedi Korr that you agree with the proposal." Halos nodded before turning back to Blue. "Have there been any issues with Haven?"

"All quiet on our front," Blue replied. "I've taken the liberty of granting the crews shore leave in intervals, if it can be met with your approval?"

"Off course, I give you my approval so long as you can keep your half of the fleet combat ready." The Admiral nodded in agreement.

"Yes Admiral."

"Good, you're all dismissed."

Rosso, Blue and Flore both saluted, their holographic images fizzling away, but Gabriel's remained, blue hued image flickering and distorting. The Admiral did not reply, simply waited for the Jedi master to ask his questions.

"Are you sure that these guys are trustworthy?" Gabriel asked, even through the distortion Halos could see his frown.

"Are you feeling anything to the contrary?" Halos asked.

"I feel something, something... disconcerting, but that is all." The Jedi replied, scratching the back of his head. "Maybe I've been here for too long, I'm jumping at shadows."

"Same can be said for me," the Admiral replied. "And yes, I don't completely believe what the Lord Inquisitor is telling me is true. They've been trying to eradicate us for the last several months, why put forward this peace proposal now?"

"Well I always had the opinion that the individual members of the Imperium were not so different from their opposite numbers in the Galactic Alliance," Gabriel replied. "Not so much in our case because it's a closely aligned coalition, but because of the communications technology and internal structure, many worlds would have to govern and protect themselves."

"I agree," Halos replied. "With all of the governments and planets we have come into contact with we have seen a myriad a different political structures, democracies, monarchies, oligarchies, theocracies, dictatorships, military states, even small empires... it seems that this Imperium has every kind of government under its umbrella."

"So you think the events of Topaz were an isolated incident?"

"If I said that you would call me naive," Halos chided.

"With good reason," Sabbath replied.

"I am not that naive, I've read over everything I can find about the Imperium of Mankind, its history, its culture, its political structure. I know who they are and what they're capable off." The Admiral replied. "The problem is if the roles were reversed, if it was our galaxy that went through what they have gone through then we might not be so different, fighting against aliens and monsters for thousands of years, continuously, I can see why they do the things they do."

There was silence for a moment, "But that doesn't mean that we will just roll over, right?"

"No," Halos replied. "That does not mean we will just give up and die. What happened to them over the centuries was indeed tragic, but I will not allow that to dictate my actions or my duties to this fleet, our people. The Twi'leks do not deserve to be subject to that kind of persecution and extermination, neither do the Bothans, the Wookiees, the Zeltrons, the Togruta, the Duros, the Barabels... no member race of the GFFA deserves that kind of fate, and they will not get it, not on my watch."

"I see," Gabriel allowed, though a small smile was on his face.

"Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Yeah, that's what I wanted to hear."

"Then Jedi Master, continue training your students and leave this diplomatic nonsense to me."

"That I will do Admiral," Sabbath replied. "Good luck."

"Same to you, my friend," Halos replied before ending the transmission. He leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling of the shuttle. The place he will be staying for the duration of the negotiations, a shuttle originally designed as a troop carrier, surrounded and protected by a small army of marines. Well at least his opposite number was in a similar situation.

* * *

"Are you comfortable?"

His captive did not reply, she simply looked up at him and glared murderously. It was a trait which was rare, an Eldar of his Craftworld kin with such a loose grasp on her emotions. It was a small miracle in and of itself that the Prince of Pleasure had not taken her.

That was fine with him, as one who perfected the craft of torture he knew there was something fulfilling about breaking his Craftworld cousins compared to that of other races. Humans were too easy to break, Orks seemed to feel nothing, but Eldar of her ilk were special, they kept a tight grasp on their emotions, so when they broke it was as satisfying as breaking through a hard outer shell to the feast within.

The Haemunculi smiled cruelly as he approached, a tall and lithe figure draped in shimmering black armour, unlike most of his trade he enjoyed jumping into the battlefield. It was the only way he could gain the prisoners he wanted for his torture chambers. His flesh gauntlet flexed with the fingers of his right hand as he reached out with his left to grip her chin roughly and make her look at him, those pretty silver eyes would look well in a jar, he revelled at her screams as he would pluck them out.

"You know what awaits you, don't you?" he whispered the words, soft as a lover, into her beautifully crafted long ears, trailing a long delicate finger along the fine line of her jaw and suppressing a smile as she shivered in revulsion. "You will be one of the prettiest things on my table in a long time, and because of that I will make you writhe, pleasure, pain, agony... you won't know what the next touch will bring."

She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened like a vice, fingers digging into her skin rough enough to bruise, yet she did not utter a sound. The Haemunculi knew that this one was going to be very special, which meant the moment when she would finally break would be both the sweetest nectar and the greatest sorrow.

She spat in his face, it was sudden and surprising, but instead of this angering him it only caused him to smile. He was getting to her, which was always good. This, however, did worry him somewhat. "By looking at you I would say that you were an Eldar, but your manners remind me a great deal of those disgusting Mon'Keigh. I hope you will not break like they do, it is most unfulfilling, little more than a cheap source of entertainment"

He slapped her across the cheek, revelling as she winced at the stinging sensation before looking at him, that fire did not dissipate, not for an instant. With a cackle he flexed the long sinewy bladed claws of his gauntlet, and turned to one of his subordinates. "Take her below, and don't you dare touch her. She is mine."

He turned on his heel and walked away, revelling as he heard her resist as his apprentices each grabbed an arm and hauled her to her feet, unbreakable glimmering chains making sure she did not try anything foolish. He ascended the black steps and grunted as a blast of cold air stung his skin and tussled his black hair. He walked across the deck of the Gunship, knowing where his lord would be without a moments doubt.

He was at the front of the ship, watching as they closed in on their destination, when on a raid he would always be there, like a symbol of his power and authority, when in battle he was always the first to enter the fray and always the first to make a kill in close quarters, this earned him the name Deathstrike.

The Haemonculi stood a full head taller than him, lankier in appearance, yet the moment the black soulless eyes of his master fell on him he kneeled and bowed his head. "Tired of your cherished prisoner already?"

"Not at all," he replied. "I simply wish to be aware of when we enter battle, and when I will get more."

"We will arrive at the settlement in another hour," the Archon replied, turning on his heel and taking a few fluid steps towards his master interrogator. "As predicted the mists have fallen from the east. They will not know of our presence until we are upon them."

"And what of their... orbital defences, won't they enter the fray once we attack?"

"Six vessels, escort class," The Archon replied. "They are far enough away that they would not be an immediate problem."

"Even so we would need to move quickly," the Haemonculi allowed. "If those vessels caught wind of us and made it back in time we will be overpowered."

"You question me?" Deathstrikes voice was low, but the words sent chills up the interrogators spine.

"No, my Lord, off course not."

"It sounded like you were," the Archon stated idly, hand on the hilt of his Huskblade, drawing it enough for the Haemonculi to see the shimmering of its blade in the low light. "Do not question me, Haemonculi. You may be the finest of your craft I have seen in centuries but that does not make you important enough to be saved from my blade, remember that."

"Y-yes, my Lord."

There were very few in the galaxy which frightened him, but his master was one such being. His animosity, his strength, his cruelty and his malice was so great that even those within their society with great power, like Lelith Hesperax, Kruellagh of the Emasculators and even the Supreme Archon of the Black Heart, Asdrubel Vect, knew of his name.

Archon Deathstrike did not command such power or influence, but with time, another century or two, he could.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__I'm back! Damn it's almost been two years. I apologise in advance for that guys, but this update should belay your fears that, no, I have not abandoned this story and, yes, I will be updating again in the future. I'm hoping to avoid any potholes concerning this but there will be some... my Dark Eldar codex is only 2__nd__ Edition, if anyone has the latest let me know, or better yet send it to me._

_So onto questions, why did it take me so long? I had originally written a rough draft for this chapter a year ago but my computer crashed before I could tweak and publish it, which pissed me off. To make matters worse I was stuck on a roadblock for the start of the chapter until about a week ago I deleted the thing and started from scratch, so here we are. _

_Why jump right forward to the negotiations? That was the block, I admit, so instead of trying to force myself to write what happens before I decided to just skip to the negotiations and guess what, I got this written within a week. Why the hell didn't I think about this the first time...? University, final year, looking for a job, in a shit job with nothing to do with my degree, got into a Naruto thing for a while (2 years)... shut up!_

_Why with the cultural exchange? I thought it would be fun, a Jedi Knight on an Imperial vessel and an Inquisitor on an Alliance vessel, the flagships at that. Tell me you're not interested in what we can get up too with this idea._

_Who is the prisoner of the Dark Eldar? I'll give you three guesses, but if you've read my last work you'll only need one._

_Will Revan or a Sith Empire make an appearance? I do not know._

_Will there be resurrections of deceased Jedi/Sith? God, no, I'd like to think I have evolved enough as a writer to not rely on that plot._

_Any other questions let me know and I will try and answer them with the next chapter, or with the reply function in the reviews panel, depends on my laziness level._


	27. Deathstrike

_**Chapter 26**_

_**Deathstrike**_

Rachi awoke suddenly with a gasp, eyes flashing right and left as if looking for an invisible enemy in her room. It took her a few moments to calm down, but even then the feeling of dread refused to go away, it continued to linger in her mind. A soft hiss of breath reminded the Jedi Master that she was not alone, and the arms tightening around her form gave her some comfort.

"Chance?"

"I'm awake," the Colonel replied, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. She could feel his worry for her through the force, a signal of the strengthening of their bond. "Are you okay?"

"No," she replied, sitting up in bed. "Something is wrong."

It came suddenly, without warning. A high pitched scream followed by explosions, muffled by the walls of their apartment. Quickly both got to their feet, Falkirk reaching for his sidearm on the bedside table as Rachi rushed towards the large open window and threw open the blinds.

What she saw sent a chill running down her spine.

The building down the street from theirs was aflame, flickering cadavers of red and orange lighting up the night sky. The howl of unfamiliar engines screamed as they passed by overhead, followed by the continuous clattering of weapons fire. She caught sight of a black vehicle, a Jetbike soaring past her window, flashing of white light as its weapons fired on something on the street below.

Strong arms grasped her, a sudden weight driving her to the ground with dizzying effect, followed by her lover's voice as they hit the ground and rolled. "Rachi get down!"

The second they hit the floor the window exploded in a hail of shattered glass and the white flashes of weapons fire. The Jedi Master watched in horror as the SpecForce Colonel took the brunt of the debris, shards of glass cutting into his exposed skin as he shielded her. "Oh Chance."

"I'm alright," he replied with a grimace, rolling off of her and reaching for his weapon. Rachi got to her feet, looking out the window just in time to see something skimming across the rooftop of the building across from theirs, coming right towards them.

It looked like a hoverboard, but a nightmarish variant with bat like wings and small pods underneath which looked like weapon batteries, atop of this board was a single warrior, covered in black armour, long feral crimson hair flaying in the wind and holding a wicked long pole, hook like blades on either end. It jumped from its board, aiming right for their now shattered window.

Rachi raised her hand and gathered the force, the black armoured creature plunged through the shattered remains of their window just as she released the push, for a brief moment they were eye to eye, her suddenly hardened orbs glaring at a pair of feral crimson eyes before the psychic push sent him flying back, back through the window and smashing against the opposite building with a painful thwack.

Suddenly panicked her eyes darted to see Chance hurriedly getting into his armour, and noticing that her night clothes were not going to be much use for her she rushed for her robes. Within moments she was dressed and clipping her lightsaber hilt to her belt, Chance grabbing her arm as he kicked open the door to their apartment, just as the opposite wall several meters down exploded in a mass of flame and debris. Through the wall were three warriors, dressed in nightmarish black armour, hefting equally monstrous weapons as they quickly zeroed in on them and raised their rifles to fire.

Chance was faster, coming down to a knee and aiming through the scope of his blaster rifle as Rachi activated her lightsaber, green light casting dim shadows through the now darkened hallway. The Colonel downed one of them before the other two aimed and fired, streams of bright white shards soaring towards them. Rachi could see that she would not be able to deflect them all, and grabbing Chance by the arm dived back into their apartment, managing to deflect a few shards before the rest impacted against the thin wall.

"What are you doing!?" Chance shouted over the din as he fired blindly from the doorway, for a brief moment the firing stopped, only to begin anew when he ducked back into cover. That wall was not going to hold for very long.

"Those weapons," she huffed. "I won't be able to deflect all of them, too many and coming in too fast."

"Shit."

Suddenly the fire shifted, from the doorway to the wall. Rachi knew exactly what they were doing, they were destroying their cover, and that wall was thin because of the warm climate. It would last half a minute tops. "They're breaking through the wall."

"Well these guys aren't stupid, I'll give them that." Chance allowed before pushing his rifle out the door and firing a few more shots down the corridor. "Any ideas?"

"One or two," Rachi replied as she broke cover and plunged her lightsaber into the wall beside them, bringing the blade into a full circle, before deactivating the weapon and giving the wall a good kick, the material fell back, impacting against the room beside theirs with a thud. "Draw their fire. I'll get them from the rear."

"Yes ma'am." Chance replied with a smirk, firing a few more rounds into the corridor for good measure. Rachi jumped through the hole and into another apartment, noticing a mother and small child huddling against the corner, wide eyed and frightened. Rachi gave them a small smile, raising her finger in a shushing gesture which the woman responded with a quick nod.

She moved to the wall separating them from the corridor, pressing her cone shaped ear against it and listening for the clacking of their weapons. They were right there. She took a step back, ushered the mother and child behind her, and raised her hand, the push was strong enough to splinter and destroy the wall, sending debris and psychic energy right into the two warriors, one of them slammed into the opposite wall while the other fell on his back.

The splinters of wood and brick did not pierce their armour, Rachi noticed, as she ignited her lightsaber and dispatched the fallen one with a quick horizontal swing before stabbing the other right in the heart as he reached for his weapon, body held in a brief spasm before slumping.

Falkirk peeked out from across the hall before leaving the room and rushing down the hallway towards her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, but we have serious problems." She replied as she entered the half destroyed apartment and knelt beside the woman and child, Chance remained behind her, eyes darting everywhere. The din of battle had escalated since their own fire fight started, now the roars of engines and the crackle of weapons fire filled the air, people were running, screaming. "Are you two okay?"

The woman hesitated, looking at the scene of destruction all around them with wide eyed fright before finally getting a hold of herself and nodding.

Rachi smiled what she hoped was a comforting one. "Good, there's a shelter below the building, get to it."

The woman nodded, gripping onto her son and whispering a quick thank you before exiting through the half destroyed wall and into the corridor. Rachi let out a breath she was unaware she was holding before looking over at Chance, who had just placed an earpiece into his ear and was running through the comm. channels.

"Anything?" she asked.

"No, all the channels are jammed, all I'm getting is static." He replied, turning to look at the Jedi Master in the eye. "We need to get to central command."

Rachi nodded. "Let's go then."

* * *

"What the hell is going on?"

"Enemy forces have infiltrated the city!"

"We have reports of fighting across sectors three, four, five, six and seven!"

"Contact with the outer perimeter squads has been lost!"

The central command hub of the fortress was in chaos, controllers and officers were running to their stations. The control consoles and view-screens were alive with masses of information, showing live links to what few security cameras still active across the city, hurried and panicked pleas for aide and status requests came in, as if all at once.

Commander Jan Callahan looked at the status reports with flashing eyes, before glaring at the view-screen, around him were his officers and chosen officials, all crowded around the main command table.

"Can we get into contact with Carpentaria!?" He called.

"No sir, communications are jammed."

"What about the fleet?"

"They're on the other side of the system on military exercises."

"Looks like we're on our own," Callahan growled before turning back to the mass of view-screens. "Bring us to full level one combat alert, I want the garrison armed and ready to go, activate the SD-15 battle droids and scramble the Speeder Bike and light armoured squadrons."

"Yes Commander."

"Comm. officers continue to try and contact Carpentaria and the fleet, we need air support and we need it now." The Commander continued, teeth grinding together as he watched a handful of unarmed civilians cut down by a withering barrage of white shards, "Where the hell is Jedi Master Sitra, and Colonel Falkirk!?"

"They have an apartment in the city sir!"

"What about Master Sabbath?"

"In a training exercise with the Apprentices, can't hail them either!"

"Damn it." He growled. "Try and contact the SpecForce and SpecOps units, get them out into the battlefield now. We must save as many civilians and non-combatants as possible, their orders are to defend until we can get reinforcements out there, understood!?"

"Yes Commander."

"Get your asses in gear!"

* * *

One moment they were there, the next they weren't.

They smashed through the outer defensive wall, the barrier between them and the wildlife beyond exploding in a mass of shrapnel and debris, leaving a gaping void large enough to fit an AT-AT walker through. The enemy came on hover-vehicles, sleek and nightmarish in appearance as they soared through the opening and disappeared down the streets of the settlement, sounds of weapons fire and the screams of the innocent followed.

The next moment the anti-air defences came alive, spraying tracer rounds and laser blasts into the night sky, the sensor arrays of the air defence towers and turrets scrambled to make sense of the information through the jamming.

He awoke, and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. He noticed a trooper lying on the ground, one of his comrades administering CPR as another two rushed past, weapons held in their hands. Slowly he rose to his feet, hearing his own heartbeat boom uncomfortably in his ears as he drew his sidearm and checked the power conduit to make sure it was full.

He immediately aimed it and fired several rounds, catching the black armoured figure in the shoulder as he landed on the rampart, sending him spinning to the dirt. With his other hand he drew his combat knife and charged. He was forced to drop his blaster pistol, grabbing onto the barrel of the enemies rifle and forcing it back to the ground over his chest, with his other hand he drove his combat knife into the side of his neck, a spurt of light red blood letting him know of his success.

The enemy attempted to wrestle him for a few more brief moments before he died on the spot, hand still holding onto his primary weapon in a death grip as his killer slowly rose to his feet, and hit the ground again as the inhumane scream of an engine soared by overhead, followed by the guard tower at the other end of the battlement exploding in a shower of flame and stone. He barely saw twin contrails of white flame before whatever attacked them rose up into the mist and out of sight.

"Sithspit," he cursed. His ears were ringing from the explosion, but he could hear the screams of pain from the dying and wounded easily enough. He fumbled around and found his blaster pistol, but found to his dismay that he had lost his grip on his combat knife. Rolling to his back, he was just able to bring it up and fire off a shot, catching another of the black clad enemies in his abdomen, this made him falter, but it didn't stop him.

He was just able to roll to the side, lest his head be impaled upon the wicket blade of the bayonet fixed to the barrel of his enemy's rifle. He continued to roll until he hit a body, turning for a brief moment to see it was one of his fellow marines, dead by the hollow and unmoving look in his one good eye, the other was a steaming mass of burnt and melted flesh. His eyes flashed to his deceased comrade's belt, finding his combat knife and drawing it.

He spun around and brought it up with not a moment to lose, redirecting the stab from the black armoured soldier who was still trying to kill him. He planted his right foot and pushed with everything he had, watching as the alien creature stumbled before gripping onto his blaster, aiming it and squeezing off several shots, each one hit their mark and his second victim hit the ground, armour steaming from the hits.

All around him he soon realised that his troopers were not as lucky, bodies of a dozen of his fellow guards littered the ground, blood flowing from fatal wounds. A further two bodies of the black armoured aliens lay where they fell.

From the side of the still intact guard tower a duo of marines were able to get a hold of one of the blaster cannons scattered along the wall and turn it down the fortifications, firing long bursts of rapid red beams. He tried to get to his feet, to reach them, but they soon disappeared in a mass of flames and shattered debris, another horrific howl of engines as a couple of nightmarishly black jetbikes howled overhead, their drivers could just barely be heard laughing with malicious glee as they disappeared into the chaos of the buildings on the other side.

Gasping for air over the intense heat, he looked down into the streets and saw the carnage firsthand. Whoever these creatures were they did not seem to fight for conquest, but for sport, he saw them chase after everything that moved. A woman ran, one of them right on her tail, she turned suddenly, whether to plead or defend herself he didn't know. She tripped on something and fell, auburn hair flailing. Her attacker followed, wicked bladed knife in hand, and stabbed her right in the throat. He didn't stop, stabbing her again and again until her white nightgown changed colour to vermilion.

This seemed to be repeated, time and time again across the streets, men, women, children, the old, the weak, nothing stopped these monsters from fulfilling their insatiable urge to slaughter and kill without reason or remorse. His eyes darted left and right, attempting to remove the horror he had just seen, only to see something else entirely.

Another young woman was being dragged by her hair by one of them. He wore no helmet like the others, revealing a face of deathly pale skin, long messy mane of white hair and a sadistic grin on his twisted face. In his hand was another one of those wickedly bladed knives. He was going to slit her throat, and let her see him do it. Desperately he looked around for something, finding a rifle held in the deathly grip of one of his men and forcing it from his stiff fingers, he aimed down the sight, and finding his target pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The blaster bolt hit true, going right through the temple of his forehead. His head flew backward with bone crunching force before he dropped the blade and fell, pulling out a few strands of her hair. She scrambled away, got to her feet and ran, ran out of sight. He breathed a sigh of relief and, using his requisitioned rifle as a crutch forced himself to his feet to survey the damage.

He was the only one left alive on the rampart, his entire contingent, about twenty men, lay where they fell, alongside the bodies of a few of their attackers. The guard tower to the left was a mangled ruin in flames, while the one to his right was eerily silent; flames from small fires seemed to be everywhere, alongside debris from blown out parts of the fortification.

"Very good," the voice was deceptively husky and low as he turned his head. "I've been watching you, and I'm impressed."

A single form leaned against the battlements, lithe in appearance her skin was as white as death, armour seemed to simply be attached where it needed to be around her groin and chest, long raven hair done up in a topknot billowed and black eyes as dark as any abyss looked at him with a wicked smirk. In her hands were bladed weapons. He knew those features, those long pointed ears.

He dropped his rifle, once again drawing both his pistol and requisitioned knife as he faced down this new nemesis, "Eldar?"

"Ah you've seen our ilk before?" she asked, smirk still in place. "I'm guessing our Craftworld cousins if you're still alive."

He squeezed the trigger, only to see the blaster bolt slam into and leave a burn mark on the wall. She had closed the distance in the blink of an eye, circling around him, a glint of crimson on her blade. He tried to follow her, but his left leg suddenly gave out and he fell, the soldier looked to see blood flowing from a wound which was not there a brief moment before she struck, cutting through the tendons of his thigh with surgical precision. She was so fast he didn't see her.

"I think I have found a suitable guinea pig for the master," she mused, closing the distance within a heartbeat.

He tried to raise his pistol, to fire off a shot, but she grabbed the barrel and moved it away just as it discharged, slamming the hilt of her knife into his forehead, disorientating him enough to take the pistol and throw it away, out of sight. He snarled as he brought his knife up, aiming for her neck, only for her to move to the side, dodging the thrust and slamming the hilt into his wrist, a gasp of pain and the loss of the weight of the knife in his hand was his reward.

In the next second she straddled him, knifes blade held against his throat as she looked down at him with vicious, glazed over eyes, licking her lips in carnal bliss. She leaned in, lips a millimetre from his left ear and spoke in a soft, seductive purr. "Maybe I can convince him to make you my new plaything. It has been a while since the last one."

* * *

"Master!"

Alana's eyes were fixed on something in the distance. Her voice was a panicked echo with an intensity which discouraged Gabriel as he approached. "What is it Alana?"

"Fire," she replied, pointing.

The moment he reached the top of the hill he saw what she saw, and his eyes widened. Tracer rounds from laser cannons were flashing in the night sky, barely visible through the thick mist, occasionally he saw the flash of an explosion or a heavy weapon going off. "Force me."

"Haven City is under attack," Alana said, eyes just as wide. "I can feel it, people are dying!"

"Calm down," Gabriel replied as he spun on his heel. "Get your weapons, and wake Marie!"

"Yes Master!"

The two of them sprinted down the hill, rushing towards their small camp, Alana moved to wake up Marie as Gabriel rushed into his own tent, reaching for the small comlink and switching it on. He knew it was a lost cause before he started clicking through the channels, nothing but static with the occasional scream or broken chatter. He exited the tent in time to see that Alana had roused Marie, who now looked scared but determined, lightsaber hilt in her hand as she looked to him.

"Haven City is under attack," Gabriel explained shortly, seeing her eyes widen in sudden fear and rightly so, her daughter was in Haven. "Do not fear for your daughter Marie, Gabrielle is taking care of her."

"I am aware Master Sabbath," Marie replied, still panicked, and suddenly Gabriel realised that her daughter was not the only one who she was worried about. "But all of our homes are in the city."

It took a moment for Gabriel to remember that Rachi had bought an apartment with the SpecForce Colonel. Gabrielle and the others were no better, feeling more at ease in an apartment block in the city rather than the barracks of the mobile fortress which made the centre, his entire force of fellow Jedi were at risk. "We need to move now."

"No." Gabriel and Marie looked over at Alana with surprise, in time to see the girl raise her arm and point further into the forest. "We need to go this way."

"Alana," Marie asked with surprise. "What do you mean that way, the city is that way?"

"I don't know," she replied, eyes full of emotion, but it was not fear Gabriel saw. "I just have this feeling that we need to go this way."

Gabriel walked over to her, seeing her eyes full of doubt but also a determination that she needed to be heard. "Have you had a vision?"

She looked up at him, surprised and suddenly timid. "I... I think so."

"Can I see?" He asked, reaching out to her with a hand, his apprentice hesitated before taking his hand. It all flashed across Gabriel's eyes in a heartbeat, an ancient gateway, kilometres away, open and allowing a small army of enemies upon the planet, the same enemies attacking the city. He saw warriors, tall and lean in black armour, and beyond them was a black city seemingly built on so much death; despair and chaos that it made every Sith Empire he read about seem like a pale imitation in comparison.

Gabriel gasped in surprise by the sudden influx of images, he had heard of precognition amongst Jedi, but what Alana had shown him was so much more than that. It was almost as if she had been there before, seen this black city of tyrants, slavers and torturers firsthand, but how could that be possible?

"Master?"

He shook his head furiously, dispelling the images before looking down at Alana's worried features, then over at Marie before settling his gaze upon his apprentice. "I agree, let's go."

She managed a grateful smile, glad that he believed her and nodded her head. "Yes Master."

"Master Sabbath, what is going on?" Marie asked in confusion.

"There is little we can do if we return to the city. The raid will be over by the time we arrive." Gabriel replied as he looked at the other apprentice. "However there is a place we can head them off on the way back, and doing so will save a great many lives."

"A large force needs to be in play to break the city," Marie said with a frown, she was scared, he could see if in her eyes. "How can we three head off their retreat?"

"You forget that we are Jedi, and our own forces will be following them. We need to find their area of retreat and block it off." Gabriel looked over to the eldest apprentice, allowing a soft smile. "You feel it too, don't you Marie, a soft whisper telling you that the place you need to be to help is not in the city, but outside it."

Marie looked near borderline panic, eyes wide and skin pale, her daughter was in the city, the little life she had brought into the world, who she had promised to protect until her dying breath. She was there, she was alone.

"Calm down Marie," Gabriel said with finality, rousing the young mother from her fearful thoughts. "Calm down and feel the force, feel it flowing through you. Submerse yourself in its currents and see where you need to be. Where will you need to be to best help the people within those walls, where do you need to be the help your daughter?"

Marie felt like she was hyperventilating, but she closed her eyes and through several deep breathes forced herself to calm down, she sank deeper and deeper into the trance Master Sabbath and Lady Sitra had collectively taught her, searching for the force, and found it, a warm current of energy which flowed through everything and every living being. She was silent, listening to it, silently willing the current to show her the best path to protect her daughter. It showed her the way. She reached out and pointed, opening her eyes to see that it was the same direction Alana had pointed moments before.

Her instincts as a mother screamed at her to run towards the city, but another side, a calmer, precise, and open side warned her that she could not help anyone if she went there, that her best option was to follow Master Sabbath and Alana into the abyss of the forest towards wherever the force was guiding them.

She thought about this for several moments, before opening her eyes to look upon the Jedi Master. "I will follow, lead on."

* * *

"Step away from the child."

Combat began immediately, none of the four assailants in the room heeded Gabrielle's call as they turned, long barrelled rifles aimed right at them, in response Gabrielle, Dani and Hossk ignited their lightsabers and quickly closed the gap between them and the intruders.

Gabrielle had already reached her first target, sidestepping the long barrelled rifle and bringing her lightsaber around to slice right through her opponent's waist, just in time to see Dani and Hossk engage their own targets as she turned to the fourth and last opponent in the room. The black armoured soldier jumped back, missing her blade and firing a few rounds from his weapon in the form of white shards of crystal, Gabrielle quickly changed the position of her lightsaber deflecting the rounds.

She watched as the warrior closed the gap, continuously firing rounds from his rifle as he attempted to stake her with the bayonet of his weapon, the Jedi Knight sidestepped, deactivating her lightsaber as she came side by side with her opponent and quickly reactivated her weapon, azure blade piercing his black carapace armour at the torso and through the back. He fell, dropping his weapon as he hit the ground, lifeless.

The baby was crying.

Dani and Hossk had similarly dispatched their own opponents, leaving the four of them alone in the room of their apartment, lightsabers ablaze amid the cried of a scared infant. The sounds of weapons fire and screams soon gained their attention, and they realised immediately that this was not an isolated incident, far from it.

"Dani, get the kid." Gabrielle ordered, turning just in time to see something soar past the window of their apartment, the flashes of weapons fire followed by the shattering of glass, and those in the room scrambled to find cover. Dani rushed to the baby's side, taking her from the crib and jumping away just as white shards pierced the timber floor.

"Dani, are you alright?" Hossk called.

"I'm okay, little one's fine too."

"Good," Gabrielle nodded, taking the child from Dani's arms before turning to the door of the apartment and sending it flying off its hinges with a force push from her free hand, thankfully no one was there to take the hit; the corridor was black as night and deathly quiet. "Let's go!"

They rushed through the corridor and down the steps to the ground floor, noticing the light of the buildings raid shelter. The residents left it open, most likely for any survivors to see and enter, but it also left them open to attacks from whoever the hell these people were. Gabrielle led the way, Marie's crying child in hand as she turned to the bunker just in time to see a blaster rifle aimed right at her face, her hand swiped it away as it discharged, sending a beam of red light to blacken the far wall as she looked upon a group of terrified civilians.

"Is there any room left?" she asked, ignoring the fact that one of them tried to turn her face into a crater.

One of them, a youngish man with auburn hair swallowed and nodded. "Yes, there's room for a few more."

"Okay," Gabrielle replied as she took the child and pushed her into Dani's arms, the Zeltron woman surprised by the turn of events. "Get in Dani, take care of the child."

"You can't be serious," Dani replied aghast, eyes wide. "I won't leave you two to fight alone."

"These people need protecting," Hossk countered softly. "Plus the child in your arms is the child of a Jedi."

"I'm the youngest too," the Zeltron woman replied accusingly. Neither Hossk nor Gabrielle replied immediately, for it was true, Dani was the youngest of the Jedi present. "Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'll have your back any less!"

"We never said that," Gabrielle replied. "But these people need protecting as well as that baby. I choose you because you were the first to come to my sight."

Dani was silent, not believing her for a moment. She was shoved suddenly by Hossk. "Go Dani, protect the child and these people."

The youngest Jedi of the group almost fell into the chamber, caught and steadied by the people within as the doors closed with a mechanical whine, confused and angry she looked up into her fellow Jedi's faces. "If you two die I'll never forgive you!"

"Deal!" Gabrielle shouted back as the bunkers main entrance closed with a clamp, a hiss of steam was the only sign it was there, it disappeared into the asphalt. She looked up to her brother, her accomplice, her fellow Jedi. "Ready?"

"Yes." Hossk replied with a nod.

"Then let's go."

* * *

"_Where the hell are the relief squads!?"_

"Civilians have flooded through the main gates. We can't get through!"

The Sergeant-Major growled low in his throat as he watched the carnage from just within the main gates of the southern entrance. He had three SD-15's ready and armed, and a few AT-ST walkers were in the process of being armed, but he couldn't deploy them. Not with the mass of panicking civilians crowding the entrance, rushing into the safety of the fortress.

Men, women and children rushed the entrance the moment the great doors opened, the howls of enemy jetbikes soaring overhead and the continuous drumming of the defence turrets as they sent tracer rounds into the night. The defence squads were dying out there, outmatched and outgunned, and they needed reinforcements.

He saw the crimson flashes of blaster fire in the distance as a platoon of troopers attempted to form a rearguard for the fleeing civilians, taking cover behind overturned speeders and within burnt out shop fronts. They didn't seem to be having much success, pinned down by enemy speeders as they zipped by, peppering their positions with unknown weapons fire.

The comtraffic was full of noise, but he could hear orders being given by commanders, calls for help from surrounded units or wounded soldiers, cut of screams were also heard. It sounded like the enemies jamming did more than simply derail communications to the outside. It also seemed to merge all of the different comlink channels into one barely conceivable mass, making communication between defenders difficult to nonexistent. It was luck the Sergeant-Major heard command through all of the voices.

"Force preserve me," he roared at last, drawing his blaster pistol and waving a squad of troopers to follow, looking up at the front SD-15. "Everyone clear a path! Get the hell out of the way! Def01, get that loudspeaker of yours working and begin advancing, if anyone gets trampled that's their own damn problem!"

The four meter tall humanoid made no physical reaction to hearing the sergeant-majors order, but its loudspeaker came on followed by a mechanical voice, echoing through the chamber, warning the horde of people to move to the side as it took a step forward. SD-series battle-droids were designed by Balmorran Arms, heavily armoured storey tall humanoid juggernauts designed to deal with both infantry and mid mechanised units, in one arm was a heavy repeating blaster, in the other a plasma burst cannon, armour, sensors, all considered state of the art.

If the bases compliment of these droids were deployed into the city it could stop these raiders. If they could get them out that is. Slowly the battle-droid started to move, large servomotors whining as it attempted to advance.

"Sir, we have a problem!"

"What the hell is it now!?" The Sergeant-Major roared before looking out the gapping entrance of the base in time to see what looked like a blade hovering just within eyesight, a large black vehicle which looked like a nightmarish desecration of a sail barge, a single sail of black cloth fluttered in the wind.

His eyes widened to saucers just as the dark lance cannon fired into the entrance, an explosion of white light blinded him, his ears rung as he was lifted off his feet and slammed to the ground, blaster pistol flying from his grasp. Slowly the ringing dissipated, and soon screams of pain and fear overtook his senses, the coppery taste of his blood was in his mouth. When his eyesight finally returned he was treated to a scene of carnage.

The bodies of two dozen people lay where they fell, civilians and his troops, unmoving; many others were hurt, some trying to crawl away from the carnage while others lay where they fell, crying, screaming, clutching stumps from where their limbs once where. Those not wounded were running, crushing into each other like a stampede as they fled deeper into the base.

Another dark lance beam tore into the hanger, smashing into the same target, the first SD-15 battle-droid, the sparking heavily damaged droid seemed to buckle under the beam before exploding in a mass of white flame, sending pieces of machinery and shrapnel everywhere. The second SD-15 raised its right arm, repeating blaster clicking into life, sending beams of crimson at such a rate that it seemed like a continuous beam.

The Raider veered to the right, narrowly missing the beams as they shot into the sky, a half dozen black armoured warriors jumping from its deck, long barrelled rifles firing sprays of white shards into the panicked crowd. Another dark lance beam ricocheted off the second battle-droid, disintegrating the arm carrying the plasma burst cannon. The large droid stumbled back a step, before raising its repeating blaster cannon and firing again at the Raider, this time scoring a hit. The portside of the barge exploded in a mass of crimson light before it spiralled out of view, a crash followed by an explosion followed.

The Sergeant-Major scrambled to his feet, grabbing his blaster pistol and firing off a couple of shots at the approaching warriors, managing to get them to disperse and dive for cover. He used the confusion to take cover behind a few fallen over crates, just in time to see one of his troopers, dazed and confused, get cut down by a barrage of white shards.

He grabbed his comlink, "This is Sergeant-Major Hausa to command, enemy troops have entered the base, send every available trooper to the southern gate, now! I repeat. Enemy troops have entered the base!"

The crackling of the comlink and the voices of his fellow soldiers were suddenly drowned out by cackling laughter, dark and vicious. _"Hey don't worry human, you might live through this!"_

Hausa could only look at his comlink in horror, realising dawning as real as the chill crawling up his spine. They couldn't just jam communications but hack into them too. Highly encoded Alliance comm. channels, considered impossible to crack, hacked into and used against them that quickly.

He managed a glimpse over his makeshift cover, only to be forced back into hiding again by a volley of splinter fire. The Sergeant-Major felt fear grip his very being. He was no stranger to fear, one who had fought in the Yuuzhan Vong war did not get out of that conflict alive without fear.

What was worse, these creatures reminded him of that fear.

They reminded him of death incarnate.

A click of a gun, the Sergeant-Major turned in time to see one of the aliens towering over him, wearing a sophisticated bodysuit of segmented armour, black as night, bullet shaped helm looking down at him devoid of emotion. He was going to die right here, right now.

There was a shot, but he did not fall, his enemy fell instead. The black armoured warrior hit the ground, a hole cemented into the right side of his helm. There was another shot, and Hausa knew immediately it was the sound of a blaster rifle, a sniper rifle. Just as his senses were regained he saw one of them fly through the air like a bullet, impacting against the remains of the second battle-droid with a bone shattering thud.

The Sergeant Major looked over his makeshift barrier in time to see the Twi'lek Jedi Master ploughing into the remaining warriors, azure bladed lightsaber flashing as it cut through the long barrels of their weapons and through the segmented plates of their black armour.

The first fell quickly, spinning around in time for a diagonal slash to run from his right shoulder to left waist. The second one was downed by a lance of red blaster fire, right into its torso. The third spun around with the other two survivors, stabbing out with the bayonet attached to his long barrelled rifle only for the Jedi to sidestep and take his head off with a smooth swing. The other two, aware of the sniper, dropped their weapons and drew wicked looking combat knives, curved with jagged edges.

A push from an invisible force sent the last two sprawling, right into the sights of the heavily damaged and barely mobile SD-15, its eyes flashed as it raised its heavy repeating blaster and fired. The two black armoured warriors were incinerated in a mass of red light and flame.

Hausa breathed a sigh of relief before turning back to the now mostly empty hanger, the civilians had managed to clear out, and only military personnel and technicians remained. "Get those wrecks out of the way. Suit up the remaining SD-15's and AT-ST's, get them out there now!"

"Yes Commander!"

He turned just in time to see the Jedi Master approach, lightsaber deactivated and held in her right hand. She was soon joined by the form of a SpecForce Colonel, fully dressed in his body-hugging black armour, right down to the helm, eyeholes glowing blood red as he leaned his sniper rifle against his right shoulder.

"Master Sitra and Colonel Falkirk I presume."

"At your service, Sergeant-Major," Chance replied, bowing slightly over extravagantly. A roar of enemy engines could be heard outside followed by a series of explosions as weapons were fired into the surrounding houses. Those who had just left the safety of their cover found themselves diving back where they were hiding.

Rachis features were deathly serious as she looked upon the death and destruction surrounding her. "Assemble every soldier, security guard and volunteer you can muster. It's time we brought the fight to these raiders."

"Yes ma'am," the Sergeant-Major nodded.

* * *

"The city was completely ill prepared for us. The defenders have been scattered, their defences are in ruins and our jetbike squadrons are keeping those inside the military base pinned down." The Incubi smiled cruelly as he reported to his master. "By the time help arrives it will be too late, victory is ours my lord."

The Archon did not reply, he didn't give even the slightest indication that he was listening to the report. His black eyes were completely focused on the chaos and bloodletting taking place all around him, the Ravager gunship hovered behind them, right outside of the shattered remains of the defensive walls as the Archon and his chosen bodyguards entered the city.

The bodies of dozens of the cities denizens lay where they were felled, a trio of Scourges soared overhead in eerie silence; black wings spread like birds of prey as they continued looking for a new victim. A beastmaster sat on the rubble of an outbuilding, a small group of clawed fiends at his feet, feasting on a victim, ripping and biting and tearing.

"Prisoners?" their masters rasping voice asked.

"Our warriors have found a handful of soldiers amongst the rabble who they consider worthy for the gladiatorial pits back home. The Harmonculi have also been busy gathering up those who survived our warrior's first strike." The Incubi replied. "Amid the Mon'keigh there are also several other races. Your master torturer is intrigued enough to call rights on them."

"My lord," The Archon's head moved ever so slightly to let the beastmaster know he was listening. "Do I have permission to release my beasts? They are still hungry."

"Yes, why not," Deathstrike replied with a nod. "Let them feast to their hearts content Beastmaster. There is an entire city of prey waiting for them."

The Beastmaster bowed his head before turning back to his pack of fiends, a harsh whistle sounded, gaining their attention, followed by the sting of a duo of bladed whips as the tamer drew them from his waist. The fiends needed little more coaxing, and scattered into the city, dozens more followed, rushing past the Archon and his cadre of bodyguards, their howls and deathly screeches added a new cacophony to the already beautiful symphony of pain and death.

The Archon waited until the last beast was out of sight, then he drew his duskblade from it sheath, thin trails of steam coursing from the black blade, and seemed to wait. His Incubi warriors did not utter any surprise, nor did they move to draw their own weapons, they stepped back, forming a semicircle away from their master.

He smiled thinly as he waited. He did not have to wait long. "Show yourselves, my opponents."

The Incubi watched as two figures seemed to appear from the shadows of a burnt out building, dressed in brown cloaks, one was a human, a female with long chestnut hair, the other of a race they did not recognise. The moment they entered the open blades of light snapped into existence, one the colour of molten amber, the other blazing with an azure light.

"My Incubi will not harm you, your lives are mine to take." The Archon spun the huskblade expertly in his hand, undoing the clasp of his black cloak and allowing the fabric to fall from his shoulders, revealing his bladed black armour to his opponents.

"You're fighting on your own," the female Mon'keigh asked, slightest hint of disbelief in her tone. He could tell that she was a fighter who had confidence in her ability. He would take great pleasure in destroying that confidence.

He tilted his head to the side, smiling even though they could not see his face through his helm. "You think you can defeat me, how presumptuous of you."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__Remember that note from the last chapter which said I only had a codex version 2, scratch that, I found a newer codex in my searches, not quite sure what version it is but it is fairly new, so that worry is out of the way. I used it quite a bit, read it here and there and now I think I know enough about the Dark Eldar war machine, ground and aerial level anyway. It is interesting to read, some new stories concerning the Dark Eldar and the Tau and even of them helping Lyundan because they found their desperate forays into necromancy amusing... sounds like them._

_The long awaited raid of the Dark Eldar on the Alliance planet has begun. A long time coming I know, sorry again for the long wait, but I hope you all enjoy the chapter. A little character development, but mainly the Dark Eldar and GFFA hammering into each other, tell me what you think._


End file.
